Pygoluciola qingyu Fu et Ballantyne

Fu, Xinhua, Ballantyne, Lesley & Lambkin, Christine, 2012, The external larval morphology of aquatic and terrestrial Luciolinae fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Zootaxa 3405, pp. 1-34 : 20

Pygoluciola qingyu Fu et Ballantyne

Figs 43–48, 63–4, 71, 92

Pygoluciola qingyu Fu et Ballantyne, 2008:1 .

Material examined. CHINA: Eight fifth instar larvae, E Mei Mountain, Sichuan Province, July 8, 2006 (NHMHAU).

Diagnosis. Very similar in morphology to larvae of L. gorhami , L. praeusta . L. terminalis , L. cerata , L. anceyi from which it differs most obviously in having 2 inner teeth on the mandibles (Figs 46, 71). Found near shallow bodies of water along road sides. Known to be actively predacious on living ants.

Remarks. It is very possible that some of the other species with similar dorsal morphology, but a single toothed retinaculum, (e.g. L. gorhami , L. praeusta . L. terminalis , L. cerata , L. anceyi ) could be found to be semiaquatic ( Chen 2003; Fu & Ballantyne in prep.). There are however no records to suggest these species are actively predacious like P. qingyu . Chen (2003) recorded L. terminalis as terrestrial, the adults occurring close to rice fields, while L. praeusta was found alongside mountain roads in an environment that approaches that of Pygoluciola qingyu with larvae recorded as terrestrial. Fletcher (1919:28) found L. gorhami in Pusa India under fallen and rotting leaves, indicated it fed only on dead Lepismidae (Thysanura), and would not touch living food. Mehta (1932) considered the spinose tergal plates equated with a burrowing mode of life.