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)
Author
Ballantyne, Lesley A.
Author
Lambkin, Christine
text
Zootaxa
2009
2009-02-04
1997
1
188
journal article
11755334
Atyphella aphrogeneia
(
Ballantyne, 1979
)
(
Figs 118–121
)
Luciola (Luciola) aphrogeneia
Ballantyne
, in
Ballantyne & Buck, 1979:119
.
Case, 1984:201
.
Atyphella aphrogeneia
(Ballantyne)
.
Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2000:15
; 2001:374, 2006:30.
Holotype
.
Male.
PAPUA, NEW
GUINEA
:
Madang Pr.
,
4.59S
,
145.40E
,
Cape Croisilles
,
Madang District
(
ANIC
).
Other material examined. PAPUA, NEW
GUINEA
:
Madang Pr.
,
4.59S
,
145.40E
,
Madang, B
. Challis, male (
SAM
)
.
VANUATU
(
New Hebrides
):
16.19S
,
167.30E
, Malakula (
Atchin Island
),
L. Cheesman
,
iii.1930
,
2 males
;
vi. 1929
male (
NHML
)
.
Rana Island
,
30.v.1903
, male (
AMS
)
.
Diagnosis.
Dorsal colouration of dark brown elytra and pronotum with median dark markings is similar to that of some
Magnalata carolinae
; distinguished by the apical expansion of the male elytra, which are not contiguous dorsally in apical half, taper towards their thickened apices, where the apical ¼ of both epipleuron and sutural ridge and elytral apex are wider than remainder (
Figs 118, 119
); females macropterous and capable of flight; larva dorsally black with lateral yellow markings on all but terminal two terga (
Ballantyne & Buck, 1979
,
Figs 28, 29
).
Remarks.
Atyphella aphrogeneia
occurs in the salt spray zone of coral outcrops near
Madang
,
Papua New Guinea
(
Ballantyne & Buck, 1979
), where, during the premating exchange of light signals, the female is sessile (but not wingless, see
Case, 1984:202
) and the male ‘patrols a narrow strip between the surf spray zone and the jungle’ (
Case, 1984:201
). It also occurs on island locations in
Vanuatu
. It is only the second firefly species known from such an unusual habitat (the other is a Jamaican firefly larva,
McDermott, 1953
). The larva is neither aquatic nor apparently semiaquatic.
Ballantyne (1987b:175)
suggested that the elytral apex thickening might contribute towards a means of securing mating pairs in an otherwise precarious position on coral outcrops, and the narrowing of the elytral apices afford the abdomen more flexibility. This has not been substantiated by observation.