Atyphella palauensis Wittmer, 1958

Ballantyne, Lesley A. & Lambkin, Christine, 2009, Systematics of Indo-Pacific fireflies with a redefinition of Australasian Atyphella Olliff, Madagascan Photuroluciola Pic, and description of seven new genera from the Luciolinae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Zootaxa 1997, pp. 1-188 : 50-51

Atyphella palauensis Wittmer, 1958

( Figs 154–157, 159, 162–163)

Atyphella carolinae subspecies palauensis Wittmer, 1958: 68 .

Holotype. Male. REPUBLIC OF PALAU: 7.0N, 134.0 E, Pelelieu Is. E coast 27.i.1948 ( BPBM).

. Other specimens examined. REPUBLIC OF PALAU: 7.0N, 134.0 E Pelelieu Is : E coast, 27.i.1948, H Dybus, paratype male; 27.vi.1985, 2 males ; 27.vi.1983, no collector, 2 males; Peliliou (sic), Garyuoka, 21.i.1938, Shiro Mirakami 1 male paratype, 1 female paratype. Babelthaup hill NW of Seabee camp, 6.50–7.10 pm, M Jess, 2 males 1 female ( BPBM) .

Diagnosis. Distinguished most obviously by its small size, locality and largely pale dorsal colouration with darker markings across elytral base and at apex.

Male redescription. 5.6–7.0 mm long; 2.6–3.0 mm wide; W/L 0.4. Colour: Pronotum ( Fig. 159) yellow, semitransparent, underlying fat body clearly visible and faint trace of median dark marking (4/6 Pelelieu, Garyuoka and Babelthaup), or pronotum dingy yellow over whole of surface (2/6 Pelelieu) with most of median area diffusely slightly darker (1/6), or faint median mark restricted to small area (1/6), pronotum of a Pelelieu male with dark marking beginning at mid-point and expanding across median half of posterior margin; MN pale light brown, MS very pale; elytra ( Figs 154, 157) semitransparent, underlying hind wings confuse colour interpretation; elytra light brown with base and apex narrowly slightly darker brown; head reddish to dark brown, antennae and palpi paler brown; venter of thorax pale except for midbrown metasternum (pale brown in one Babelthaup male); legs pale brown with apical half or all of tibiae, and all of tarsi brown; basal abdominal ventrites pale mottled with darker brown; V5 mostly brown; basal abdominal tergites brown, T7, 8 pale yellow. Pronotum ( Fig. 159): 1.1–1.5 mm long; 2.0– 2.4 mm wide; W/L 1.6–1.8; lateral margins diverging posteriorly with rounded convergence; posterolateral corners rounded obtuse, projecting beyond median posterior margin; anterior half of hypomeron not flat; posterior half widely flat, closely adpressed. Elytron ( Figs 154, 157): slightly convex-sided; 4.5–5.5 mm long; with 2 reasonably well–defined interstitial lines; epipleuron and suture not continuing around apex, not thickened in apical half. Head: cannot be retracted into prothoracic cavity; GHW 1.4–1.8 mm; SIW 0.2; SIW/GHW 0.1–0.14; ASD<ASW, sockets not contiguous; frons-vertex junction not well–defined, rounded. Antennae longer than GHW, not reaching 2 x GHW; 11 segmented. Mouthparts functional; apical segment of labial palp flattened, like a wide triangle with inner edge irregular, bearing either no teeth or 2 teeth. Abdomen, ventrites: LO entire in V6 and V7 reaching sides but not posterior margin. MPP rounded, short. Tergites: T8 as wide as long; anterolateral prolongations very short. Aedeagus ( Figs 162, 163): elongate, may appear subparallel-sided; L/W 3.5/1; LL/ ML 2.8; LL diverging or not along their length dorsally, slightly shorter than ML; apices of LL slightly out–turned and rounded, width at tip equal to that of ML; inner apical area of LL obliquely truncate; base of LL produced and rounded.

Female. ( Figs 155, 156) 7.0 mm long. Elytra fully developed and cover body, hind wings ¾ length of elytra and female probably incapable of flight. Colour: dorsal colouration approaches that of male except paratype pronotum has no median darker markings; Babelthaup female with very pale pronotum with median brown area, and very pale elytra with basal and apical darker markings; elytra semitransparent and appear slightly mottled; abdominal ventrites light brown. Pronotal outline as for male. Head of wingless female form; head can be completely retracted within prothoracic cavity. V7 with median posterior margin broadly emarginated; acute junction between sides of median emargination and remainder of obliquely truncate posterior margin. T8 with lateral margins converging gently posteriorly and posterior margin rounded.

Larva. Not associated.