Colophotia praeusta
Creators: name: Ho, - Z.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Lampyridae
Colophotia
Colophotia praeusta

description: Colophotia praeusta (Eschscholtz 1822)
Figs 76, 77
Lampyris praeusta Eschscholtz 1822: 57. Guerin-Ménéville 1838: 75. Lacordaire 1857: 337.
Type. Lampyris praeusta. Syntype male. PHILIPPINES. Labelled: 1 handwritten in ink on yellow paper “ Luciola Praeusta Esch. Entomen Dj Cat D. Escholtz. Philippenfis Inf Ph. ”; 2. Handwritten in ink “ Lampyris / praeusta Es. Manilla ”; 3. Male symbol; 4. Printed “ Coll. Chevrolat ” handwritten “ type Escholtz”. (MNHN in Olivier collection Box 60).
Colophotia praeusta (Eschscholtz). Motschulsky 1853: 52; 1854: 48. Olivier 1885: 367; 1902: 72; 1907: 56. McDermott 1962: 27; 1966: 116. Ballantyne & Lambkin 2009: 155, figs 98−105); 2013: 62 figs 99−106.
Luciola praeusta (Eschscholtz). Gorham 1880: 101.
Colophotia particulariventris Pic 1938: 149. McDermott 1966: 116. New synonymy.
Type. Colophotia particulariventris. Male possible holotype. INDONESIA SULAWESI as Celebes. Labelled 1. Handwritten in ink “ Colophotia particulariventris? nihi; 2. Handwritten in ink “ex Wittmer”; 3. Handwritten in ink “ Celebes Sidaonta Juni 1937 ’. Standing beside this specimen in Pic Box 47 are 4 further labels which apparently relate to this specimen, and written in French. One label bears a sketch of the terminal abdominal male ventrites. (MNHN).
Other specimens examined. PHILIPPINES. Specimens in USNM frequently bear no collector data. Leyte Island: Leyte Province, Abuyog, 20 June 1945, Malobago tree, D. Pletsch male. Luzon Island: Bataan Province, Limay R.C McGregor, 11 males, 13 females. Cavite Province, Bacoor, P.L. Stangl, 2 males, 5 females. Dasmarinus J. Heil, male. Silang, Sept. 5 1924, R.C. McGregor, male. Kawit Province Tangoolan (? Tanggulan) Baker, male. Laguna Province Bay (Laguna) P.L. Stangl, 7 males, 6 females. Laguna as Ube Laguna, 20 April 1930, R.C. McGregor, 2 females. Los Banos, in Nipa house, 1921, male, 2 males no date, E.M. Ledyeard. Los Banos, Baker, male; 14.vii.1945 B Malkin, 2 males. Mindanao Island, Zamboanga del Norte Province. Dapitan male, 2 females. Iligan, Baker, male. Negros Island: Province of Negros Occidental 14.v.1928, male. Sibuyan Island: Romblon Province Baker 3 males, 3 females. Samar Island: Samar Province Baker, 2 males (USNM).
Diagnosis. 6.6−9.5 mm long; males pale brownish yellow with black tipped elytra (Ballantyne & Lambkin 2013 figs 99−101); distinguished from C. plagiata by the elytral colour (the elytra of C. plagiata are dark brown with pale margins), and from C. concolor / C. brachyura by the well-defined and acute median carina on V7 (that of concolor / brachyura is broader, lower and rounded). Colouration of head, antennae and labrum varies both within and between localities, as does the relative length of the PLP (see Table 14). LO halves in V7 narrowly and evenly separated along their inner ventral margins which are subparallel sided; with a well elevated narrow median carina with acute ventral edge which expands in depth in posterior half (Figs 76, 77); strongly developed MPP which is deeply emarginated and prolonged into hooks which arise from the posterior area of the MPP and curve such that they are usually visible from beneath; MPP 2x longer than wide, not much longer than PLP (see Table 14 below for relative lengths of PLP and MPP); with strongly developed median ventral trough which is margined laterally by acute ridges. T8 lateral margins convex sided; flanges well developed, apically rounded inclining one forwards and one backwards; posterolateral corners not acutely prolonged (Ballantyne & Lambkin 2013 figs 102, 103; 2009 figs 98−100, 104. Female with wide paired bursa plates (Ballantyne & Lambkin 2013 figs 104−106). Aedeagal sheath: 7 x as long as wide. Aedeagu s: b/a 0.3; LL apices barely separated along their dorsal margins (Ballantyne & Lambkin 2009 figs 101−103).
description: Published as part of Ho, - Z., 2019, The Luciolinae of S. E. Asia and the Australopacific region: a revisionary checklist (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) including description of three new genera and 13 new species, pp. 1-174 in Zootaxa 4687 (1) on pages 74-75, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4687.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3508098