Revision and Phylogeny of the Genus Phausis (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) with the Description of Three New Species
Author
Hodson, Alicia M.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Author
Branham, Marc A.
Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
text
Zootaxa
2024
2024-05-27
5458
1
1
52
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5360.3.8
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5458.1.1
1175-5326
11348272
7480BACF-7F14-48C2-80CB-AB4C54812D10
Phausis
LeConte, 1852
Phausis
LeConte 1852
. 5: 337 (
Type
species:
Lampyris reticulata
Say 1825
by monotypy).
Diagnosis.
Males.
The genus
Phausis
is characterized by the following morphological characters: a anterior vitreous spots, (except in
P. dorothae
;
Fig. 17C
) above the eyes on the pronotum (
Figs. 17A–B, D–F
;
18A–F
;
19A
); 11 antennomeres; dull in color (brown); a small glabrous, sub-spherical sensorium (terminal antennal bead) located on the anterior end of the last antennomere (
Fender 1966
); photic organs present on VI and VII abdominal segments some species (
Figs. 20A–C
).
Description. Length
2.5 to 8.5 mm
.
Head.
Vertex of head in concave in most species; ocelli absent; mandibles normal; labial palps reduced.
Antennae.
11 antennomeres; scape and pedicel shorter than remaining antennomeres; last antennomere with a small glabrous sub-spherical sensorium on the distal end.
Pronotum.
Males with anterior vitreous areas (spots) on the pronotum (except for
Phausis dorothae
).
Legs.
Tibial spurs absent; tarsi with four segments, fourth segment short and bilobed, tarsal claws simple.
Venter.
Tergal apical lateral angles strongly lobed; last abdominal tergite apically notched; photic organs present medially on the VI and VII abdominal segments of species with bioluminescent males.
Diagnosis.
Females.
The only known females for the genus are
Phausis reticulata
and
P. inaccensa
. Females are characterized by the following characters: Anterior vitreous areas (pronotal spots) above the eyes absent; paedomorphic, pale, with tergal apical lateral angles translucent; abdomen with 8 visible segments; photic organs present.
Description. Length
5 to 11.5mm
.
Head.
Ocelli absent; eyes compound, black.
Antennae
. Short, does not reach metathorax; 3 to 5 antennomeres (
P. inaccensa
), 7 antennomeres (
P. reticulata
;
Fig. 21E
); last antennomere with a small glabrous sub-spherical sensorium on the distal end.
Pronotum.
Transverse; anterior vitreous areas (pronotal spots) absent.
Venter.
Photic organs present. The number and placement of the photic organs of
P. reticulata
vary between females. Photic organs primarily present along lateral margins of abdominal segments I, VII and VIII, but can sometimes also be observed on other subsequent abdominal segments. Number of photic organs ranges from 3 to 9, and are either symmetrically or asymmetrically placed along each abdominal segment (A. Hodson
personal observation
;
De Cock
et al.
2014
).
Phausis inaccensa
females only emit light from 2 photic organs located ventro-laterally on abdominal segment VII (
Faust & Forrest 2017
). For both females of both species, the photic organs can only be observed when the female is emitting light.
Distribution. The distribution of
Phausis
is restricted to the
United States
(Eastern, Southeastern, Pacific Northwest, and Western) and
Canada
(
Alberta
,
British Columbia
) with the exception of a single specimen of
P
.
riversi
from Northern
Baja California
,
Mexico
(
Fig. 1
).