Scissicauda disjuncta (E. Olivier, 1896)

Silveira, Luiz Felipe Lima Da, Mermudes, Jose Ricardo M. & Bocakova, Milada, 2016, Systematic review of the firefly genus Scissicauda (Coleoptera, Lampyridae, Amydetinae) from Brazil, ZooKeys 558, pp. 55-75 : 62-66

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Lampyridae

Scissicauda disjuncta (E. Olivier, 1896) Figs 1, 2-3, 4-15, 16-20, 21-27, 28-29, 30-41, 42-43, 44-46, 47-50

Lucidota disjuncta Olivier, 1896: 1.

Aethra disjuncta (Olivier, 1896). Olivier in Wytsman, 1907: 16; Blackwelder 1944: 353.

Schistura disjuncta (Olivier, 1896). Olivier 1911: 51; McDermott 1964: 10, 39.

Lychnuris disjuncta (Olivier, 1896); McDermott 1966 (quid pro quo).

Scissicauda disjuncta (Olivier, 1896). McDermott 1964: 10, 39; 1966: 87.

Type material.

Holotype (Fig. 1) male (MNHN), without locality data (although Olivier 1911 reported the species from Rio de Janeiro). Bearing the labels: 1) green and rectangular, handwriting Lucidota disjuncta E. Oliv.; 2) white and rectangular, printed, Specimen typicum originale auctoris Ern. Olivier.; 3) white and square, handwriting, Fry.

Material examined.

BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, without other data, 1 male, 2 females, Fry coll. (BMNH); Petrópolis, P. N. Serra dos Órgãos, 25/11/2012, Mermudes & Mattos col. (DZRJ); Teresópolis, P. N. Serra dos Órgãos, 15/XII/2014, A. Katz col. (DZRJ), ~1100m, 14-17/I/2015, L. Silveira col. (DZRJ), 18/XII/2014, 1 female, V.A.C WILSON col. (DZRJ), 1050m, XII/2013, Malaise trap, 1 male, 2 females, R. Monteiro col. (DZRJ), 1050m, I/2014, Malaise trap, 2 females, R. Monteiro col. (DZRJ), 1050m, II/2014, Malaise trap, 2 females, R. Monteiro col. (DZRJ).

Diagnosis.

Males with antennae flabellate (Fig. 10) (filiform in Scissicauda balena sp. n.), anterior pro and mesoclaws bifid (Fig. 29) (entire in Scissicauda balena sp. n.), phallus dorsal plate strongly rounded basally, phallic groove at apical one third, strongly curved (subtruncate basally, phallic groove at half its length, moderately curved in Scissicauda balena sp. n.); ventral plate at least 2 × phallobase length (slightly shorter than phallobase in Scissicauda balena sp. n.); parameres ventrobasal process rudimentary (Figs 36-41) (digitiform, extending slightly beyond ventral plate, shorter than paramere itself in Scissicauda balena sp. n., Figs 63-66). Female sternum VIII constricted at posterior one third, indented medially (Fig. 43) (rounded in Scissicauda balena sp. n., Fig. 68).

Description.

Colour pattern. Integument from entirely brown to blackish-brown, scape and pedicel yellowish-brown (Figs 1, 2), legs with trochanters, femora and tibial base yellowish, tibiae progressively darkening toward apex (Fig. 3). Prothorax with translucent to slightly pale yellow peripheral semicircular margin, sometimes bearing orangish vittae (Fig. 2), hypomeron antero-dorsally yellowish (Fig. 18). Elytra with pale yellow lateral-longitudinal vittae (Figs 1-3, 24), sutural margin and outer lateral line brown to blackish-brown. Sternum VII with lateral margins yellowish (Fig. 33). Pygidium with anterior angles yellowish (Figs 30, 32).

Male. Antennae (Fig. 10) with scape constricted basally, pedicel almost as long as wide and constricted medially; antennomeres III–X subequal in length, slightly serrate and basally flabellate, lamellae almost 2 × as long as antennomeres, except for branch X, which is one third longer than antennomere; antennomere XI filiform, slightly longer than previous one. Pronotum 1.3 × wider than long (Figs 1-3, 16-18). Abdominal sternum II with two median close-set vitreous spots (Fig. 31), sternum VIII with posterior margin trisinuose (Fig. 33). Sternum IX abruptly constricted anteriad at half its length, one third longer than aedeagus (Figs 34-35). Phallus dorsal plate strongly rounded basally, phallic groove at apical one third, strongly curved; ventral plate slightly shorter than phallobase; parameres ventrobasal process rudimentary (Figs 36-41).

Female. Antennomeres III–XI compressed, subequal in length, antennomeres III–X serrate (Figs 42-34, 45). Sternum VIII as long as wide (Fig. 43), constricted at posterior one third, indented medially. Spiculum ventrale long and slender, three fourths sternum length. Sclerotized part of internal genitalia with a large and somewhat rounded spermatophore-digesting gland anteriad to common oviduct. Bursa plate and median oviduct plate absent. Valvifers free, twisted basally, 3 × longer than coxite; coxites medially fused, coxital baculi well-developed, sclerotized, divergent basally; styli minute, sclerotized; proctiger indistinct (Figs 47-50).

Biology. Active during daytime, on moisty days. In our experimental design (Jun/2013-Jun/2014), individuals were only collected between December and February, when there is a local increase in pluviosity (Graphic 1). Our results suggest that Scissicauda disjuncta breeds during the rainy seasons, possibly in low montane forests. Otherwise, although it could in principle be a sampling artifact, it could also mean that the species has a patchy distribution.

Remarks.

McDermott (1966:87) quoted Lychnuris disjuncta referring it to Olivier 1899: 91, but in this paper there is no reference to such a name. However, on page 90, there is a Lychnuris adjuncta Olivier, 1899, which is not quoted under Lychnuris in his catalogue ( McDermott 1966). Therefore we consider the citation a quid pro quo. Regarding the etymology of the specific name, the author did not mention a meaning for disjuncta , which is a Latin expression for apart, separate. We tentatively associate it with the separated corners of the pygidium.