Pyrophanes similisimma, Ballantyne & Lambkin & Boontop & Jusoh, 2015

Pyrophanes similisimma View in CoL sp.nov.

(Figs. 67, 70−72, 75, 76)

Type. Holotype male. Sulawesi as Celebes Macassar N Lepong Nov. (remainder of label indecipherable) 1949 Yata Haneda ( USNM).

Paratypes (7). INDONESIA. Maluku Province, Ambon Island Waai A. Wegner male (11.iv.1964), ( BPBM) ; Ambon Island as ‘ Molucca Is Amboine Is’ near Poca lat 45 long 128 E 28–30 March 1975 JE Lloyd 5 males ( JELC) . Sulawesi as Celebes Macassar N Lepong Nov. (remainder of label indecipherable) 1949 Yata Haneda male ( USNM) .

Diagnosis. One of four Pyrophanes species with curved swollen hind femora and curved tibiae in the male, distinguished by its pale dorsal colouration with black patches confined to the elytral apices.

Redescription of male. 7.9–8.9 mm long. Colour (Figs. 73, 74): pronotum, MS and MN orange yellow semitransparent, fat body clearly visible through pronotal cuticle in lateral areas; elytra semitransparent whitish yellow, paler than pronotum, may be shiny orange yellow at base, slightly paler in median area, with apical brown area; head deep reddish brown, antennae and palpi dark brown; ventral surface of thorax semitransparent yellow; legs yellow except for brown tarsi 1, 2 and brown apical tarsomeres 3; basal ventrites semitransparent yellow with fat body visible beneath; V7 yellow in median area and across posterior margin; dorsal abdomen yellow. Pronotum: W/L 1.6; L/EL 0.18–0.19; L/BL 0.15–0.16; W/GHW 1.3–1.4. Head: GHW/SIW 4–5. Antennae (Fig. 74): scape elongate clavate, FS 1 subequal in length to short pedicel and produced laterally on anterior face (produced on right antenna only in two in Lloyd collection; one specimen has R antenna only); FS 2, 3 produced laterally at outer apices in Celebes males ( Ballantyne & Lambkin 2009 Fig. 509, specimen misidentified as Py. similis ). Legs (Fig. 74): MFC with 14 strong teeth in Lloyd specimens; femora 3 swollen and curved, tibiae 3 strongly curved and expanded at their apices. Abdomen (Figs. 67, 73−76): median area between LO halves in V7 may appear trough like with muscle impressions visible; ventral surface of T8 as figured (Fig. 67); lateral margins essentially straight and converging posteriorly, posterior margin with acute posterolateral corners, deep and wide median emargination with a further narrower emargination at midline; PLP elongate slender; incurving lobes broad at base, making almost a right angle with the long axis of the body; inner apex reaching as far as or slightly further than pointed projection; MPP short about as wide as long with rounded apex (Figs. 75, 76). Aedeagus (Figs. 70̄72): L/W approximately 3–4; b/a = 0.8.

Etymology. Possibly a case of hyperbole, but named to highlight its similarity in colouration to Py. similis .

Remarks. A single male of Py. similis was taken at Macassar by Haneda in Nov. 1949 along with representatives of this species.

Discussion. The Luciolinae fauna of the Philippines is varied, extremely interesting in various abdominal modifications in males, and largely devoid of any revision with most species existing solely in the form in which they were originally described, most over 100 years ago. With a few exceptions most of the species of Pyrophanes addressed here occur in the Philippines. Working on this fauna is complicated by the difficulty in obtaining adequately preserved specimens ( Weir & Recsei 2009) and in this respect we are greatly indebted to the late Ivan Polunin as all freshly collected material we examined was provided by his activities. We have virtually no firsthand knowledge of flashing patterns in this genus but some observations hint at the possibility that a Pyrophanes species is the synchronising species at least in one of the tourist sites at Donsol (Wong pers comm.).

Two species with similar colouration but differing in the development of their hind legs have overlapping distributions. The two species with dark elytra, Py appendiculata (with swollen hind femora and curved hind tibiae), overlaps with Py. semilimbata (which is without swollen hind femora or curved tibiae) at Benkoelen. Those with pale elytra having a dark apical mark, are Py. similissima (with the hind legs developments) and Py. similis (without such hind leg modifications) which overlap at the Macassar site. This could be indicative that these species could take role in müllerian rings at this sites, as lampyrids are known to be generally unpalatable and thus aposematic.

There are now firefly tourism watching sites but until now the identity of these fireflies was unknown. These include sites at Mt Apo near Mindanao (T. Lynch pers comm.), Iwahig River and Sicsicsan River in Palawan (Wong pers comm.), Sibuyan Island in Romblon Province, and at least 10 accredited firefly tourist guides operate at the Donsol River in Sorgoson. We can identify only a single specimen of Py. elongata sp. nov. from the Ogod River site.

Just as the realisation of the potential for firefly tourism promises a boost to the economy of a country, so too does this very tourism reveal how fragile many of the firefly communities are, and the significant need for future well-regulated care to be taken in preserving their environment.