Luciola lambkinae Keller and Ballantyne, 2021

Keller, Oliver & Ballantyne, Lesley, 2021, Luciola lambkinae Keller and Ballantyne, new replacement name for Luciola roseicollis Pic, 1935 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Insecta Mundi 2021 (874), pp. 1-3 : 1-2

Luciola lambkinae Keller and Ballantyne , nomen novum

Luciola roseicollis Pic 1935: 6 . McDermott 1966: 112 partim; Fu et al. 2010: 15 partim (nec Luciola roseicollis Pic 1933: 109 ).

Type. Male. CHINA as Kina S Kansu. MNHN. Labelled : 1. Handwritten roseicollis n sp ; 2. handwritten voisin de calceata; 3. Red card printed TYPE; 4. Printed Sven Hedins Exp. Ctr. Asien Dr Hummel; 5. Printed Kina S. Kansu.

Etymology. The species is named for Christine Lambkin (Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Australia). Dr. Lambkin has been collaborating with LB since 2000 trying to make sense of the Australopacific and Asian lucioline fauna. This is a small honor for 21 years of shared interest and collaboration.

Diagnosis. Rosy pink pronotum; narrow anterior dark marking may reflect retraction of fat body in this area and the dark color is probably the dark head showing through the transparent cuticle; mesoscutellum dingy yellow; elytra black and subparallel-sided; most of ventral surface (and head) black except for brown femora of hind legs (interpretation of other legs not possible), and white light organ occupying all of the terminal two abdominal ventrites except for a narrow median posterior yellowish portion; lateral margins of light organ in ventrite 7 converge posteriorly, and posterior margin truncate, with very slight broad emargination.

Remarks. This specimen was not dissected and thus reliable assignment to any genus is not possible. We have assigned it to the genus Luciola sensu lato, a category Ballantyne et al. (2019) used for Luciolinae species still not investigated nor assigned to any genus. This category is one of convenience and has no taxonomic standing. Pic (1935) highlighted the very slight emargination of the posterior margin of the ventrite 7 light organ (“ultimo truncato aut paulo emarginato”) and considered the species close to the similarly colored Luciola cerata Olivier differing in the pinkish pronotal tint with an anterior dark marking. Luciola cerata was redescribed from a lectotype designation by Fu and Ballantyne (2008) and subsequently assigned to the genus Abscondita by Ballantyne et al. (2013). It is only known from Taiwan.