The external larval morphology of aquatic and terrestrial Luciolinae fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)
Author
Fu, Xinhua
Author
Ballantyne, Lesley
Author
Lambkin, Christine
text
Zootaxa
2012
3405
1
34
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.211302
d849f41f-5ac9-4f89-83dc-aad867ff8719
1175-5326
211302
Luciola owadai
Satô
et
Kimura
Luciola owadai
Satô & Kimura, 1994
: 159
.
Ohba
et al
., 1994
: 13
.
Diagnosis.
Similar to larvae of
Aquatica
spp., distinguished only by the dorsal colour patterns, especially that of the protergum; protergum with extensive median dark area prolonged in middle along anterior and posterior margins; dark area may extend to sides; [
Satô & Kimura (1994)
and
Ohba
et al
. (1994)
described the median dark area on the protergum as cross shaped with each arm relatively wide and subequal in width, unlike
cruciata
where the anterior and posterior margins narrowly prolonged]; most of posterior half of thoracic terga obliquely pale across corners and narrowly across posterior margin; pale areas across posterior margins of most abdominal terga restricted to 2 separate areas with the outer area larger; median line wide (maximum width across abdominal terga 3, 4), and terga widely separated (as in Figs 81, 82); abdominal glands not investigated; antennal segment 3 with closely adpressed finger like projections subequal in length to adjacent sense cone; mandibles lacking retinaculum.
Remarks
. The authors herein did not examine specimens of this species which is now protected in
Japan
(Ohba pers. com.).
Ohba
et al.
(1994
:17 Fig. 1) depicted the gills as single branched with a very short posterior swelling which could be the retracted second branch.
Jeng
et al.
(2003
:544) differentiated
owadai
and
hydrophila
on pronotal colouration, length of gills (those of
hydrophila
are shorter with more obtuse apices), and pygopod structure (in
owadai
the basal row of pygopods has four retractable filaments).