Pygatyphella ignota ( Olivier, 1911 )

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 : 84

Pygatyphella ignota ( Olivier, 1911)

( Figs 265, 268, 269, 274–277)

Atyphella ignota Olivier, 1911:174 ; 1913:417.

Luciola (Luciola) ignota (Olivier) . McDermott, 1966:105.

Holotype. Male. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Milne Bay Pr., 9.30S, 150.40E, Fergusson Is., ix, x, xi, xii, 1894, A. S. Meek ( MNHN); labelled ( Fig. 277) 1. (Printed) Fergusson I., ix.x.xi.xii.94 (printed number 5 overwritten with large 4) (A. S. Meek). 2. (Handwritten on red paper) ignota Ern Oliv.

Diagnosis. Medium sized (9.4 mm long); dorsal colouration of elytra dingy pale brown; most similar to Pygat. obsoleta , distinguished by the dorsal colouration, the scarce production of the preapical outer margin of the LL, the squarely truncate MPP apex, and the apparent lack of a median longitudinal trough on the ventral surface of T8.

Male redescription. 9.4 mm long; 4.0 mm wide; W/L 2.3. Colour ( Figs 265, 268): Pronotum dingy pale yellow with small paired median light brown patches, semitransparent in areas where fat body retracted; MN pale cream, pale brown markings cover most of median area of each plate; MS greyish cream with an extensive anteromedian brown area not extending to lateral or posterior margins; elytra very pale light brown with lateral margins dingier cream; inner margins of epipleura finely dark brown; dorsal surface of elytral apex with narrow pale brown band extending across outer edge of epipleuron just anterior to elytral apex; under surface of elytral apex dark brown; head, antennae, palpi dark brown except for dingy cream inner margin of apical segments of maxillary palpi. Pronotum: 2.2 mm long, 3.6 mm wide; W/L 1.6; both lateral margins with angled convergence and small indentation before angulate posterolateral corners, corners approximately 90° and oblique to median line. Elytron ( Fig 265): 7.2 mm long; parallel-sided; inner two interstitial lines well–defined. Head: retracted within prothoracic cavity at rest and not visible from above; GHW 2.0 mm; SIW 0.25 mm; SIW/GHW 0.1. R labial palp apex with 6 slender teeth along inner margin, L palp with 2 broad basal and 2 slender apical. Abdomen, ventrites ( Figs 268, 269): LO entire in V6, V7 reaching sides but not posterior margin of V7, median posterior margin not emarginate, occupying> ½ area of V7. MPP as long as wide, posterior margin squarely truncate (very slightly emarginate in dried pinned specimen, entire after immersion in hot water to soften); lacking dorsal ridge. Tergites ( Fig. 274): T8 visible (coloured) posterior portion considerably wider than long; anterolateral prolongations very elongate, narrow, expanded vertically, lacking flanges; ventral surface of T8 lacking posteromedian ridge. Aedeagal sheath: emargination on right side begins at tergite articulations. Aedeagus ( Figs 275, 276): L/W 3.5/1; LL/ML 2.8; LL divergent along their length dorsally, and slightly shorter than ML; preapical outer margin of LL barely produced; preapical inner margin of LL produced, short and narrow; base of LL asymmetrically produced to the left; ML symmetrical, lacking lateral teeth.

Female, Larva. Not associated.

Remarks. While superficially similar to Pygat. obsoleta, Pygat. ignota is not simply a paler variety of that species, and the aedeagal complex resembles that of Pygat. wisselmerenia sp. n. rather than that of Pygat. obsoleta . The dorsal elytral colouration is distinctive in lacking the dark markings along the suture characteristic of pale obsoleta . Although Olivier (1913) recorded this species from some mainland localities, it is possible that these are records of obsoleta (I am unable to relocate these specimens).