Aspisoma Laporte, 1833

Silveira, Luiz F L, Khattar, Gabriel, Vaz, Stephanie, Wilson, Vinicius A., Souto, Paula M., Mermudes, José R. M., Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F., Macedo, Margarete V. & Monteiro, Ricardo F., 2020, Natural history of the fireflies of the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range (Brazil: Rio de Janeiro) - one of the ‘ hottest’ firefly spots on Earth, with a key to genera (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Journal of Natural History 54 (5 - 6), pp. 275-308 : 289

Aspisoma Laporte, 1833 ( Figure 4 A – C )

Species of this genus are linked to marshy environments and usually very widespread over South America, and sometimes even into Central America and the Caribbean (LS pers. obs.). The genus is unique in the triangular shape of the pronotum,lacking vitreous spots,sometimes strongly declined ventrad, along with the reduced and acute mandibles, dorsal position of the abdominal spiracles, and the presence of fully developed lanterns, and abdominal sternum VIII emarginate in males. Sexual dimorphism is most pronounced in the eyes and lanterns size and shape: males have enlarged eyes, depressed vertex, and lanterns fully developed on abdominal sterna VI and VII, which are restricted to a rounded spot on sternum VI in females. Costa et al. (1988) described the larvae of an undetermined species of Aspisoma and provided original data on its reproductive biology. Viviani et al. (2012) described the immature stages of Aspisoma lineatum , and provided original data on its reproductive biology.

Figures

Figure 4. Diversity of Lampyrinae fireflies of the Serra dos Órgãos. A – Aspisoma sticticum, B – Aspisoma lineatum, C – Aspisoma pallens, D – Cratomorphus besckei, E – Cratomorphus cossyphinus (modified from Campos et al. 2018), F – Cratomorphus splendidus, G – Cratomorphus distinctus, H – Lucernuta savignii (modified from Silveira et al. 2019), I – Lychnacris flabellata subopaca, J – Phaenolis basalis, K – Luciuranus takiyae (modified from Silveira et al. 2018), L – Luciuranus desideratus (modified from Silveira et al. in 2018), M – Luciuranus josephi (modified from Silveira et al. 2016b), N – Luciuranus jameshooki (modified from Silveira et al. 2016b), O – Lucidota flabellicornis, P – Lucidota tricolor, Q – Photinus infuscatus, R – Photinus laticollis, S – Macrolampis varicollis, T – Photinus succensus, U – Photinus augustalisi, V – Macrolampis frater, W – Photinus nodieri, X – Ybytyramoan praeclarum (modified from Silveira and Mermudes 2014b), Y – Ybytyramoan diasi (modified from Silveira and Mermudes 2014b), Z – Ybytyramoan monteirorum (modified from Silveira and Mermudes 2014b). Scale bar: 2 mm.