Atyphella aphrogeneia ( Ballantyne, 1979 )

Ballantyne, Lesley A. & Lambkin, Christine, 2009, 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), Zootaxa 1997, pp. 1-188 : 42

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.