Luciola oculofissa, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2013

Ballantyne, Lesley A. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2013, Systematics and Phylogenetics of Indo-Pacific Luciolinae Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and the Description of new Genera, Zootaxa 3653 (1), pp. 1-162 : 75-76

Luciola oculofissa sp. nov.

[ Figs 120–127 ]

Holotype. Male. NEW CALEDONIA: 22.06S 166.39E Riv. Bleue panoramic track 160m 20.xi–11.xii.2000 malaise trap ( MNHN).

Paratypes. NEW CALEDONIA: 20.39S 165.13E Touho TV tower 400m 30.I.2004 QMB 1114 rainforest sieved litter 1 larva . 22.06S 166.39E Riv. Bleue panoramic track 160m 20.xi–11.xii.2000 malaise trap, 11 males ; Riv. Bleue (Mois de Mai) 400m 19.xi.2001 QMB 1046 rainforest sieved litter 1 larva . 22.09S 166.41E Foret Electrique 220m 23.iv.2005 larva . 22.11S 166.01E 700m 3.xi.2002 QMB 1072 rainforest sieved litter 1 larva. 22.15S 166.49E Pic du Pin site 1 rainforest yellow pan 25–26.xi.2004 4 males . 22.17S 166.53E Pic du Grand Kaori site 2 250 m 22.xi–21.xii.2004 malaise trap rainforest 3 males ; 22.17S 160.54E Pic du Grand Kaori site 2 21.xi.2001 – 29.i.2002 malaise trap 2 males . 22.19S 166.55E Foret du Nord sites 1, 2 480m 2.xii.2004 yellow pan 23 males . 22.21S 166.58E Port Boise , 20m 22.xi.2001 – 29.i.2002 4 males ( FIT) 1 larva (pitfall trap). ( QMBA).

Diagnosis. Known only from New Caledonia; dorsal colouration deep grey as for L. antipodum , L. aquilaclara sp. nov. and L. hypocrita . Distinguished by lacking any trace of LOs, and the huge anteriorly projecting eye emargination clearly visible from above when head is withdrawn. Female not associated. Larvae associated by correspondence of collecting data with that of males and distinguished by features outlined in Table 11, Figs 128, 129, 135 and below.

Male. 3.6–4.5 mm long. Colour ( Figs 120–125 ): pronotum very dark almost black, elytra slightly paler; underside of body pale brown except for black head. Pronotum ( Figs 121, 123 ): 0.8–1.2 mm long; 1.2 mm wide, W/L 1.2–1.5; pronotal width subequal to humeral width or slightly less in some pinned specimens. Elytron: 2.8–3.5 mm long; subparallelsided. Head ( Figs 120, 121, 122, 123 ): elongate and protruding beyond anterior margin of pronotum ( Fu et al. 2012b Figs 48, 49 ). GHW 1.2; SIW 0.1 mm; ASD <ASW; antennal sockets contiguous; the small mouthparts may indicate that this species does not feed as an adult. Aedeagus ( Figs 126, 127 ): ML with very narrow apex, shorter than LL which curve inwards at their narrowed rounded apices; LL widely separated along middorsal line, with a rounded projection along inner margins at approximately half their length from the apex; BP very narrow.

Female. Unknown. Probably flightless.

Larva. Associated by correspondence of collecting data with that of males and distinguished by features outlined in Table 11 (as larva type A), Figs 128, 129, 135 and below.

Colour ( Fig. 128, 129, 135 ): Dorsal surface quite dark brown with either only tergum 8 pale ( Fig. 128 ), or both terga 8, 9 pale ( Fig. 135 ). with narrow dark markings along posterior margin; ventral plates well defined, brown except for pale yellow underside of abdominal segments 7, 8 ( Fig. 129 ). Dorsal surface ( Figs 128, 135 ): well sclerotised; large pale punctures scattered along anterior and lateral margins of protergum, and at sides of remaining terga; well defined pale median line running from anterior margin of protergum to posterior margin of abdominal tergum 8; terga without any short paired projections along posterior margin beside mid line ( Fig. 128, 135 ). Thorax ( Figs 128, 135 ): protergum not much wider than long, with 3 short lateral projections on each side including barely produced posterolateral corners ( Fig. 128, 135 ); meso and metaterga much wider than long, shorter than protergum with 2 lateral projections on each side including the produced posterolateral corners. Abdomen ( Figs 128, 129, 135 ): laterotergites not visible from above; abdominal terga 1–8 with lateral margins expanding towards posterior end and posterolateral corners narrowed and apically acute ( Fig. 128 ) or rounded ( Fig. 135 ). Ventral surface ( Fig. 129 ): posterior margin of median sternal plates of abdominal segments 1–6 with paired narrow projections, sterna areas of segments 7, 8 ill defined; posterior end of laterosternites dark, projecting; posterolateral corners of laterotergites of segments 1–8 narrowed, angulate, and slightly projecting towards rear.

Etymology. The specific name emphasizes the huge eye emargination (oculus, -i (m) Latin eye; fissus, a, um Latin split, cloven).

Remarks. This species was mainly collected during daylight hours using yellow pans (shallow plastic dishes with the inside painted bright yellow). A 1 cm deep layer of detergent water was placed in them and they were laid out on the forest floor during the day. G. B. Monteith (of the Queensland Museum team which collected these insects) noted that flying insects patrolling the forest floor zoom down to investigate the bright colour, land on the bright yellow surface, and drown. The dorsal eye excavation is enormous and discussed subsequently. Larval associations are tentative only. It is known from the southern area of New Caledonia at elevations lower than 300m, with two exceptions. The southern Foret Nord record at 480m is of many males. Monteith considers the northerly record at the Touho TV tower in the north east of the island may have been mislabelled; it is based on a single larva.

Figures

FIGURES 120–127. Luciola oculofissa sp. nov. paratype males (QMBA). 120, 121 head and pronotum, left lateral (121) and dorsal (Pic du Grand Kaori); 122 head anterior (Foret du Nord); 123, 124, whole body dorsal (123) and ventral (Foret du Nord); 125 V6, 7 ventral (Col de Petchecara); 126, 127 aedeagus in aedeagal sheath ventral (126, anterior end to left of page), ventrolateral (127, anterior end to right of page (Rive Bleu). Figure legends: BP basal piece; LL lateral lobes; ML median lobe. These figures share scale lines: 123, 124.

FIGURES 128–138. Luciola spp. Larvae (QMBA). Luciola oculofissa sp. nov. 128, 129 (Foret electrique), 135 (Touhu TV Tower). Luciola aquilaclara sp. nov. 130–134 (130, 131 Col d’Amieu, 132–134 Mandelia summit), 136 (Mt Taom summit), 137 (Aopinnie). 138 Luciola hypocrita. 128, 132, 135 dorsal whole body; 131 dorsal thorax only; 136 dorsal thoracic terga 2, 3, abdominal terga 1–8 (teeth along posterior margins of terga arrowed); 137 dorsal thorax and abdominal segments 1–7; 129, 130, 133 ventral; 134 left ventrolateral 3 abdominal segments. Figure legends: 1 left projection of sternum; 2 posterior projection of laterosternite; 3 posterior projection of laterotergite. These figures share scale lines: 128–130; 132, 133.

FIGURES 45–55. Australoluciola spp. 45, 54, 55 Australoluciola flavicollis, male 45, female 54, 55 (ANIC). 46 Luciola coarcticollis type male (MNHN). 47 Luciola gestroi type male (MNHN). 45–47 dorsal; 48 ventral V4–7 and T8; 49–51 aedeagus left lateral (49), ventral (50) and dorsal; 52, 53 aedeagal sheath with aedeagus ventral (52) and dorsal; 54, 55 female bursa from side (54) and beneath (55). Figure legends: 2 posterior plates; 3 anterior plates. These figures share scale lines:49– 51; 52, 53.