Amydetes marolae Campello, Vaz, Mermudes & Silveira, 2022

Campello, Lucas, Vaz, Stephanie, Mermudes, Jose R. M., Ferreira, Andre L. D. & Silveira, Luiz F. L., 2022, Comparative morphology and key to Amydetinae genera, with description of three new firefly species (Coleoptera, Lampyridae), ZooKeys 1114, pp. 131-166 : 131

Amydetes marolae Campello, Vaz, Mermudes & Silveira, 2022 sp. nov.

Figs 9 , 10 , 11 , 12

Etymology.

The specific epithet Amydetes marolae is a feminine noun in the genitive case. This species is named in honor of our colleague and friend, Raquel Santos Soares Queiroz, alias “Marola”, who helped us collect the type specimens.

Diagnosis.

Antennae with scape and pedicel yellowish brown (Fig. 10G ), flagellum light brown (Fig. 10G ); pronotum yellowish brown (Fig. 11A-D ); abdomen dark brown, with sternites VI-VIII translucent (Figs 9A , 12E ), pygidium dark brown with a translucent posterior line (Fig. 12F ); antennae with 32-41 antennomeres (Fig. 10G ); antennomere III with flabellum 2 × longer than antennomere III; antennomere III as long as scape (Fig. 10G ); maxillary apical palpomere 10 × longer than III (Fig. 10A, B ); hypomeron as long as tall (Fig. 11C ); sternite VIII with posterior margin bisinuate, central 1/3 slightly shorter than posterolateral angles (Fig. 12E ); lanterns occupying almost the entire area of sternite VI and VII (Fig. 9A ).

Description.

Male. Coloration. Antennae with scape and pedicel yellowish brown (Fig. 10G ), flagellum pale brown (Fig. 10G ); pronotum yellowish brown (Fig. 11A-D ); abdomen dark brown, with sternites VI- VIII translucent (Figs 9A , 12E ), pygidium dark brown with a translucent posterior line (Fig. 12F ). Head. Antennae flabellate with 32-41 antennomeres (Fig. 10G ); antennomere III as long as pedicel, with flabellum 2 × longer than antennomere III (Fig. 10G ). Fronto-clypeus as wide as 1.5 × distance between antennifers process (Fig. 10C ). Maxillary palpomere I as long as wide; II 2 × longer than wide, III approximately 0.1 × of IV length (Fig. 10A-F ). Gular margins separated by 1/3 maxillary palpomere IV length (Fig. 10B ). Thorax. Pronotum 1.5 × wider than head width in ventral view (Fig. 9A ), 1.5 × wider than long (Fig. 11A, B ). Hypomeron as long as tall (Fig. 11C ). Abdomen. Lanterns occupying almost the entire area of sternite VI and VII (Fig. 9A ). Sternite VIII with posterior margin bisinuate, central 1/3 slightly shorter than posterolateral angles (Fig. 12E ). Pygidium with a translucent posterior line (Fig. 12F ). Phallus 1.5 × longer than parameres (Fig. 12A-C ); parameres basally constricted, as long as phallobase (Fig. 12A ); phallobase asymmetrical (Fig. 12A, C ).

Females and immature stages. Unknown.

Biology.

One hundred forty-six individuals were collected in hilly areas of the Ilha Grande State Park (Fig. 1 ) between 160-660 m a.s.l. in 2017 and 2018. The highest abundance was observed between 160-170 m a.s.l. This species has a continuous blue-green glow. Males fly between 0.1 and 4 m above ground level, bending their abdomens downward, possibly to light the ground in search of females, (as in other Amydetes spp.; Vaz et al. 2021); they sometimes flying upwards towards the forest canopy. They are apparently active in the first hours of complete darkness. About 5-10 males were observed flying together in the same visual field.

Remarks.

Amydetes marolae sp. nov. is similar to A. bellorum , with which it shares the following combination of traits: labrum connected to fronto-clypeus by membrane; maxillary palpomere IV at least 6 × longer than III (up to 7 × in A. bellorum , and at least 10 × in A. marolae sp. nov.); hypomeron as long as tall; and sternite VIII bisinuate. Nevertheless, Amydetes marolae sp. nov. differs from A. bellorum by: body length (average = 0.67 mm [n = 10, range = 0.6-0.8] in A. marolae and 0.87 mm [n = 10, range = 0.8-1.0] in A. bellorum ); pygidium (entirely dark brown in A. bellorum , dark brown with a translucent posterior line in A. marolae sp. nov.).

Amydetes marolae sp. nov. occurs in a mountainous and coastal region of the Serra do Mar range, where it is found between 160 and 660 m a.s.l., with greater abundance in parts below to 400 m a.s.l. Despite extensive sampling (e.g., Silveira et al. 2020), A. marolae sp. nov. has never been collected anywhere other than Ilha Grande, unlike A. bellorum which does not occur on Ilha Grande. Ilha Grande is separated by approximately 3 km from the mainland, which may be an important barrier to dispersal, especially considering that Amydetes females are perhaps flightless ( Silveira and Mermudes 2014a). As such, A. marolae sp. nov. is regarded here as probably endemic to Ilha Grande.

Materials examined.

Holotype: Brazil • Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis: Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande, Pico do Papagaio ; 23°09'05.8"S, 44°11'19.9"W; 660 m a.s.l.; ♂; Apr. 2018; L. Campello, L. Silveira, R. Queiroz, S. Vaz leg. (DZRJ) . Paratypes: Brazil • Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis: Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande, Estrada para Dois Rios, Poco do Soldado ; 23°10'04.7"S, 44°11'03.5"W; 160 m a.s.l.; 7 ♂ ; Jul. 2018; L. Campello, L. Silveira, S. Vaz, R. Queiroz leg. (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 2 ♂ ; Sep. 2017 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 2 ♂ ; Oct. 2017 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 2 ♂ ; Dec. 2017 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 24 ♂ ; Mar. 2018 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 11 ♂ ; Apr. 2018 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 20 ♂ ; May. 2018 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 11 ♂ ; Jun. 2018 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 18 ♂ ; Aug. 2018 (DZRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Nov. 2018 • same data as for preceding; 23°10'05.7"S, 44°11'04.0"W; 170 m a.s.l.; 1 ♂ ; Sep. 2017; (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Oct. 2017 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Jan. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 3 ♂ ; Apr. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 7 ♂ ; May. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 5 ♂ ; Jun. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for holotype; 23°08'49.9"S, 44°10'51.5"W; 335 m a.s.l.; 1 ♂ ; Nov. 2017 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 2 ♂ ; Dec. 2017 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Feb. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Apr. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 3 ♂ ; Jul. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Aug. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for holotype; 23°08'51.5"S, 44°10'52.4"W; 345 m a.s.l.; 3 ♂ ; Oct. 2017 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Nov. 2017 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 2 ♂ ; Jan. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; Mar. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 1 ♂ ; May. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 5 ♂ ; Jul. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for holotype; 23°08'47.2"S, 44°11'09.4"W; 440 m a.s.l.; 1 ♂ ; Jun. 2018 (MNRJ) • same data as for preceding; 6 ♂ ; Aug. 2018 (MNRJ).

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of new species of Amydetinae in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the southeastern Atlantic Forest.

Figure 9. Amydetes marolae sp. nov., male habitus A ventral B lateral C dorsal. Scale bar: 1 mm (A-C).

Figure 10. Amydetes marolae sp. nov., head A dorsal B ventral C frontal D lateral E posterior F occipital; antennae G dorsal. Scale bars: 1 mm (A-F); 2 mm (G). GB: gular bar.

Figure 11. Amydetes marolae sp. nov., pronotum A dorsal B ventral C lateral D posterior. Scale bar: 1 mm (A-D).

Figure 12. Amydetes marolae sp. nov., aedeagus A dorsal B lateral C ventral; sternum IX D ventral; sternite VIII E ventral; pygidium F dorsal. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A-D); 1 mm (E, F).