Abscondita chinensis

Abscondita chinensis (L.)

Lampyris chinensis Linnaeus 1767: 645. Luciola praeusta Kiesenwetter 1874: 263. McDermott 1966: 102. Ganguly 1980: 1. Chen, 2003: 176. Ballantyne et al. 2013:

1. Luciola affinis Gorham 1880: 101. McDermott 1966: 111 (synonymy). Jeng et al. 2003b: 258. Luciola gorhami Ritsema 1883: 4. Gorham 1883: 410; 1895: 306; 1903: 327. Olivier, 1902: 79; 1907: 52; 1912: 90; 1913c: 270.

Fletcher 1919: 28. Okada 1931: 145. Miwa, 1931: 102. Mehta 1932: 101. Ganguly 1963: 107. Saxena 1953a: 125; 1953b:

197; 1957: 71. Lai et al. 1998: 210. Jeng et al. 2003b: 260. Chen, 1999: 142. Ho & Su 2000: 54. Ballantyne et al. 2013: 1. Luciola succincta Bourgeois 1890: 106. Olivier 1902: 86. New synonymy. Luciola chinensis (L.). McDermott 1966: 101. Abscondita chinensis (L.). Ballantyne et al. 2013: 1. Fu (2014: 102). Wijekoon et al. 2016: 67. Types. Lampyris chinensis L. not located in Linnaean collection in London by Ballantyne in 1993. Luciola praeusta Kiesenwetter not located in Munich. Luciola affinis Gorham. Not located in MNHN (Jeng examination). Luciola succincta Bourgeois. Not located MNHN (Ballantyne examination).

Neotype. Male. CHINA. Wuhan City, male designated by Ballantyne et al. 2013 (HZMAU).

Other specimens examined. S.N. = Sorasak Nak-eiam. THAILAND. Khao Yai N. P. 19.vi.1988 M G Allen, male, female (NHML). 20°15’ N 100°03’ E, Chiang Rai province, Chiang Saen district, 370 msl. 3.v.2010, freshwater area, 6 males (SN˗ CRA ˗006) SN (NUNHM). 15°55’ N, 99°09’ E, Kamphaeng Phet province, Khlong Lan district, 325 msl., 28.ii.2010, dry evergreen forest, 5 males, 1 female (S.N.˗ KPA ˗027) S.N. (NUNHM). 15°55’ N, 99°09’ E, Kamphaeng Phet province, Khlong Lan district, 442 msl., 18.xi.2007, dry evergreen forest, 4 males (SN˗ KPC ˗011) S.N. (NUNHM). 18°50’ N, 99°28’ E, Lampang province, Muang Pan district, 484 msl., 10.v.2011, forest park, 1 male, 1 female (SN˗ LPA ˗004) S.N. (NUNHM). 18°50’ N, 99°29’ E, Lampang province, Muang Pan district, 408 msl., 10.v.2011, paddy field area, 1 male, 1 female (SN˗ LPA ˗005) S.N. (NUNHM). 18°09’ N, 97°55’ E, Mae Hong Son province, Mae Sariang district, 221 msl. 1.vi.2011, paddy field area, 2 males (SN˗ MSB ˗010) S.N. (NUNHM). 18°09’ N, 97°54’ E, Mae Hong Son province, Mae Sariang district, 255 msl., 1.vi.2011, mixed deciduous forest, 2 males (SN˗ MSB ˗012) S.N. (NUNHM). 18°09’ N, 97°53’ E, Mae Hong Son province, Mae Sariang dis- trict, 290 msl., 1.vi.2011, dry evergreen forest, 6 males (SN˗ MSB ˗017) S.N. (NUNHM). 19°16’ N, 98°33’ E, Mae Hong Son province, Pai district, 1,187 msl., 3.vi.2011, pine forest, 4 males (SN˗ MSB ˗025) S.N. (NUNHM). 19°16’ N, 98°30’ E, Mae Hong Son province, Pai district, 719 msl., 3.vi.2011, dry evergreen forest, 1 male (SN˗ MSB ˗030) S.N. (NUNHM). 19°11’ N, 101°05’ E, Nan province, Pua district, 1,298 msl., 5.vii.2009, lower montane forest, 1 male, 1 female (SN˗ NNB ˗001) S.N. (NUNHM). 16°44’ N, 101°35’ E, Phetchabun province, Nam Nao district, 956 msl., 20.v.2008, lower montane forest, 1 male (SN˗ PBA ˗003) S.N. (NUNHM). 16°44’ N, 101°35’ E, Phetchabun province, Nam Nao district, 956 msl., 20.v.2008, lower montane forest, 4 males (SN˗ PBA ˗005) S.N. (NUNHM). 16°21’ N, 101°19’ E, Phetchabun province, Muang district, 380 msl., 15.v.2010, dry evergreen forest, 7 males, 4 females (SN˗ PBA ˗019) S.N. (NUNHM). 16°44’ N, 101°35’ E, Phetchabun province, Nam Nao district, 956 msl., 2.viii.2008, lower montane forest, 2 males (SN˗ PBB ˗004) S.N. (NUNHM). 17°18’ N, 100°41’ E, Phitsanulok province, Chat Trakan district, 201 msl., 23.v.2011, dry evergreen forest, 4 males, 4 females (SN˗ PLA ˗016) S.N.

(NUNHM). 16°85’ N, 100°85’ E, Phitsanulok province, Wang Thong district, 431 msl., 10.ii.2012, dry evergreen forest, 3 males, 1 female (SN ˗ PLC ˗014) S.N. (NUNHM). 17°33’ N, 99°29’ E, Sukhothai province, Sri Satchanalai district, 224 msl., 24.xii.2007, mixed deciduous forest, 1 male (SN ˗ STC ˗006) S.N. (NUNHM). 17°33’ N, 99°29’ E, Sukhothai province, Sri Satchanalai district, 179 msl., 9.ii.2008, mixed deciduous forest, 1 male (SN ˗ STC ˗022) S.N. (NUNHM). 17°33’ N, 99°29’ E, Sukhothai province, Sri Satchanalai district, 179 msl., 9.ii.2008, mixed deciduous forest, 1 male (SN ˗ STC ˗025 ) S.N. (NUNHM).

Diagnosis. Males and females distinguished from Abs. cerata (Olivier) by their dorsal colouration of pale yellowish-brown elytra with black apices (cerata has black elytra). Most similar to Abs. terminalis (Olivier) with which it shares black terminal abdominal tergites, distinguished by: the ventral abdominal colour (Abs. chinensis always has V5 completely dark coloured, while in many Abs. terminalis V5 is pale in the middle); the aedeagal sheath sternite terminated by apically acute and divergent lobes (those of Abs. terminalis are elongate). Females coloured as for male, differing most obviously from females of Abs. terminalis by the ventral abdominal colour pattern which is either reduced to posterolateral dark patches on V5, or may be absent. Larvae very similar to those of Abs. terminalis, with pale paired markings on anterolateral areas of protergum.

Remarks. Differing light patterns were discussed by Ballantyne et al. (2013). Chinese specimens displayed a single modulated ca 1 sec male display flash with ca 2.8 sec interval, usually occurring in flight in open forests. Barua et al. (2007: 287) identified their species as Luciola praeusta. Ballantyne reassessed this identification and modified it to Abscondita perplexa. Wijekoon et al. (2016) identified specimens in the National Sri Lankan collection in Colombo as Abs. chinensis. Fu (2014: 104, 105) illustrated a luminous pupa, and pupal mud case, and on 106 a pair in copulo.

The synonymy with Luciola succincta was established in the absence of the type because of the similarity of dorsal colour pattern and especially that of the ventral abdomen.

Nak-eiam (2015) did not observe the transverse tergal band associated with the aedeagal sheath in this species.