Luciola pallidipes Pic 1928

Luciola pallidipes Pic 1928

Figs 292–308

Luciola pallidipes Pic 1928: 58. McDermott 1966: 111. Type. MALAYSIA. Malacca. Not located. Luciola fletcheri Pic 1935: 10. McDermott 1966: 104. New Synonymy. Type. Syntype male (no abdomen). INDIA. Sikkim. (NHML) 27.5– 20.9 N, 87.59E to 88.56E approximately. Type labelled: 1. Handwritten “ Luciola Fletcheri n. sp.” (Ballantyne interprets this as being in Pic’s handwriting); 2. Red printed “ Type ”; 3. Blue printed “ syntype ”; 4. Handwritten “ desiré”; 5. Sikkim 5000ft Kurseong 7.20 June 22 Fletcher coll. (NHML) (Figs 292, 293, 300, 301, 302).

Other specimens examined. INDONESIA. Province of Maluku, island of Seram, 12 kms S. E. Wahai, 17.i−6. ii.1997 S. Bilý, male (Prague) (Figs 296–299). 0.03S 113.59E, Kalimantan, Tengah Busang / Rekut confl. MV light, August 2001, Brendell / Mendel, 2 males, female (NHML). BRUNEI. Temburong Prov. 14–15.ii.2010 Kuala Belalong F. stn., at light, 1 male (NHML) (Fig. 295). MALAYSIA. Nada’s collection in various forest reserves has compartment numbers and transect number following in []. # = killed fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Peninsular. Pahang: District, King George V Nat. Park: Kuala Tahang 7−14.xii.1958, J. L. Gressitt, 2 males (BPBM) (Figs 303, 304). Perak: Banjaran Bintang Bukit Berapit (Tai ping) 11– 12.3.1997, Ivo Jeniš, male (Prague) (Fig. 294). Pahang: Fraser’s Hill, Bishop Trail, 13.iv.2016, B. Nada, ♀ (B 1 I) (FRIM); 27.iv.2015, B. Nada, ♀ (FH 27 Out) (FRIM). Selangor: Gunung Nuang, 250 m a.s.l., 6.v.2015, B. Nada, ♂, 3 ♀ (GN 250) (FRIM); FRIM, Canopy Trail, 20.iv.2015, B. Nada, 2 ♀; 23.iv.2015, B. Nada, 2 ♂, ♀ (Canopy Trail 23) (FRIM); Mersawa Trail, 22.iv.2015, B. Nada, ♂, ♀ (Mersawa) (FRIM); Rover Track, 171 m a.s.l., 14.vi.2011, O. Khirul Faizal, male (ADULT 11) (FRIM); Non-dipterocarp Arboretum, 8.viii.2011, W.M. Wan Shaina, male (ADULTNOND3) (FRIM). Sabah: Mt Tambuyukon, 2350−2400m, 02.05.2011, Ultrabasic Team, 3 males (ANIC).

Diagnosis. A small species (about 6 mm long) dorsally very dark brown to black, except for paler brown lateral surfaces of the metathorax and light brown legs in the L. fletcheri type, and paler legs in Perak and Maluku males; other specimens have dark margins to the metathorax and dark brown legs; white light organs in V6, 7, with pale T7, 8; eyes without a posterolateral emargination, inner eye margins very close above antennal sockets, and antennal sockets very close but not contiguous; median anterior margin of aedeagal sheath tergite broadly produced and apically squarely truncate (Figs 305, 306); posterior margin of sheath sternite rounded, entire. In the Brunei male the elytra are widely separated along their sutural margins and it is unclear if this is the natural state or due to dehydration. Female not reliably associated but coloured as for male and macropterous.

Remarks. Four species approaching L. pallidipes in both size and colouration have been described. Luciola flebilis Olivier (1909a) from Sumatra was characterised from a female. Luciola pallidipes Pic 1928 from Malacca was described as 5 mm long and similar to L. picea but with legs and underbody of thorax yellow. Gorham (1882) described a small black species from Sumatra as L. picea. We are unable to locate types of either L. picea or L. pallidipes.

It is possible that flebilis is simply a female of L. picea both having been recorded from Sumatra. The type male of L. fletcheri is without an abdomen, but the very close antennal sockets and small interocular distance is shared by the other specimens we assign here. While L. fletcheri was recorded from a high altitude in Sikkim, only some of the other specimens here are from similar altitudes. The Pahang males have the posterior margin of the light organ in ventrite 7 retracted. Both the Sabah and Maluku males have the posterior margin of the pronotum bisinuate and paler legs, while the Sabah males have antennae exceeding GHW in length. Specimens from Mt Kinabalu, Maluku and Perak have pale legs and underbody of thorax paler than rest.

Preliminary observations on a collection of Luciolinae from peninsular Malaysia indicates L. pallidipes as defined by the dark dorsal colouration and paler brown legs is widely distributed. (B. Nada pers. comm.).

The handwritten label ‘desiré’ on the type indicates that Pic hoped to keep the specimen.