Fig. 64
Luciola costata Lea, 1921b: 66.
Luciola (Luciola) costata Lea. McDermott 1966: 102. Calder 1998: 178.
Atyphella costata (Lea). Ballantyne & Lambkin 2000: 31.
Aquilonia costata (Lea). Ballantyne & Lambkin 2009: 30.
Type. Male. AUSTRALIA. Northern Territory. (NMVA).
Other specimens examined. AUSTRALIA. Northern Territory. 12.27S 130.50E Tortilla Flats via Darwin 8.xii.1966 C. Li 2 males (MAGNT). 13.15S 130.44E 40 kms W Katherine 63m 28.xi.2008 Sv. Bily 2 males (PRAGUE). Katherine Gorge N. Park 4−5.xii.1980 M. Malipatil male (MAGNT). 13.26S 132.34E Kakadu Na- tional Park Gunlom 64m Sv. Bily 2 males (PRAGUE). 13.45S 131.26E Douglas Hot Springs 35 m Sv. Bily 4 males (PRAGUE). 13.45S 130.42E (approximate) Beebom Crossing Daly River on Tipperary Station 28.xi.1972 T Angeles T Forrester 3 males (MAGNT). 14.29S 131.22E Crocodile Creek near Dorisvale MV light 17018. xi.1984 M. Malipatil 11 males (MAGNT). 14.31S 132.22E Tindal light trap 1−20.xii.1967 W Vestjens 2 males (ANIC). Edith Falls (via Katherine) xii.1983 Potts male (MAGNT).
Diagnosis. Aquilonia costata is now known from Cape York Peninsula and near bodies of water in the Northern Territory, almost all of which are popular tourist destinations. It is the only Australian species with a colour pattern of yellowish orange dorsum with black tipped elytral apices. In the immediate study area close to the northern coast line of Australia this colour pattern resembles Aquil. messoria c omb. nov. and Aquil. similismessoria c omb. nov. (from coastal New Guinea near Buna Bay and surrounding islands), and Pacifica russellia (Solomon Islands). It differs P. russellia by the absence of an arched V7 posterior to the LO, T8 is without any median ridges and the ML without lateral teeth. A single female found flying with males is macropterous and coloured as for the male. Larval specimens with laterally explanate tergal margins from Prince of Wales Island in the Torres Strait were scored by Ballantyne & Lambkin (2013, Table 2) (QMBA) but are not reliably associated..