Pygoluciola abscondita Ho 2019, comb. nov.

Pygoluciola abscondita (Olivier 1891) comb. nov.

Figs 356−363

Luciola abscondita Olivier 1891: 604; 1902: 74. McDermott 1966: 99.

Type. Syntype series of four males. MYANMAR (as Birmanie). All specimens labelled as follows: 1. Printed ‘ Rangoon Birmanie Fea 1887’; 2. Male symbol; 3. Printed ‘teste Olivier’; 4. Pink card printed in ink ‘SYNTYPUS’, handwritten in ink ‘ Luciola abscondita E. Olivier 1891 ’. (MCSN) (Figs 356−358).

Diagnosis. A small parallel sided species with yellowish orange pronotum which may have darker median markings, and brown to dark brown elytra; one of four species assigned here to Pygoluciola which have an aedeagal sheath sternite terminated by a boomerang shaped piece, the aedeagus wider across the middle and the membranous apical portions of the LL are wider at their bases than at their apices.

Male. 6.0–6.2 mm long. Colour (Figs 356−258, 363): pronotum yellowish orange with faint brown median markings which appear to represent retraction of the underlying fat body; MN and MS pale yellow; elytra light to mid brown with yellow humeral angle, very narrow yellow base, and narrow yellow lateral margin extending to apical 2/3; suture very narrowly yellow in basal 1/6; venter of metathorax brown; legs 1, 2 with bases yellow, tibiae and tarsi brown; legs 3 brown markings extend to apices of femora; ventrites anterior to LO brown; abdominal tergites brown, except for slightly paler T7 and pale yellow semitransparent T8. Pronotum: subparallel sided (A=B=C); width <humeral width. Elytron: subparallel sided, 5 x as long as median pronotal length. Head: GHW/SIW 5/1; ASD <ASW sockets are not contiguous; antennae shorter than 2 x GHW, segments simple elongate longer than wide, pedicel with basal constriction. Mouthparts: apical labial palpomere lateral flattened like a broad triangle with inner margin dentate (2 teeth). Abdomen (Figs 357, 363): LO in V7 retracted slightly from sides and posterior margin; MPP short, broad and apically rounded; T8 parallel sided with anterolateral arms elongate slender, not bearing membranous projection on inner ventral surface; rounded posterior margin does not incline ventrally. Aedeagal sheath (Fig. 362 shows posterior margin of sheath sternite only): sternite expanding gradually with apex terminated by a ‘boomerang’ shaped hairy piece. Aedeagus (Figs 359−361): approximately twice as long as wide; basal sclero- tized section of LL widest across area where the membranous parts of the LL arise, only slightly separated along their middorsal length and with base asymmetrical, produced strongly to left; ML reaching just beyond basal portion; apical membranous sections of LL wider at base than at apex; well defined hairy membranous sausage shaped lobes arising from ventral surface just behind inner origins of membranous sections of LL (arrowed in Fig. 361).

Remarks. Olivier described the elytra as black and considered this species close to L. hirticeps but without a median dark pronotal marking. It is difficult to determine the precise pronotal colour which may be due to retraction of the underlying fat body. P. abscondita comb. nov. is one of two species presently assigned to Pygoluciola where the aedeagal and sheath morphology are suggestive of the related genus Abscondita, and where the sheath is terminated by a boomerang shaped section. The other species is P. insularis comb. nov.