Misplaced Pages

Sclerotia (beetle)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Genus of firefly

Sclerotia
Sclerotia fui, male, in dorsal view
Same specimen in ventral view
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Lampyridae
Subfamily: Luciolinae
Genus: Sclerotia
Ballantyne, 2016
Type species
Luciola aquatilis
Thancharoen, 2007
Species

See text

Sclerotia is a genus of fireflies in the subfamily Luciolinae. It contains seven species that occur in Southeast Asia. The larvae of at least three of these species are aquatic and swim on their backs.

Taxonomy

The genus Sclerotia was erected in 2016 by Lesley A. Ballantyne. Seven species were assigned to the new genus, six of which have previously been classified within the genus Luciola. The seventh species, Sclerotia fui, was newly described by Ballantyne in the same contribution. Molecular evidence of three Sclerotia species indicates that they form a natural group that is distinct from other genera. The type species is Luciola aquatilis, which was described in 2007.

The seven species include:

The name Sclerotia is a Latinised form of the English word "sclerite" and points to the three sclerites that can be found around the aedeagal sheath of the male reproductive organ.

Description and ecology

The identification of Luciolinae species in southeast Asia can be difficult due to similar colour patterns, with most species showing brownish or yellowish upper sides. Although Sclerotia species are no exception, they are united by distinctive internal features such as the eponymous three sclerites that surround the aedeagal sheath in the reproductive organ of the males, a unique feature within the subfamily. These sclerites are attachement sites for muscles, but their exact function in reproduction is unclear, and the mating process has not yet been observed. Sclerotia is furthermore characterised by parallel and longitudinal rows of punctures over most of the elytra (forewings). The light organ is either U or heart-shaped.

The larvae are known of three Sclerotia species; these are aquatic and swim on their backs just below the water surface. In in the related genus Abscondita, in contrast, the larvae are probably terrestrial. The first and second instars might use bristles that extend sidewards as gills, while later instars lack gills. Defensive glands seem to be absent in the larvae.

References

  1. ^ Ballantyne, Lesley A.; Lambkin, Christine L.; Luan, Xin; Boontop, Yuvarin; Nak-Eiam, Sorasak; Pimpasalee, Suttisan; Silalom, Sommyot; Thancharoen, Anchana (23 September 2016). "Further studies on south eastern Asian Luciolinae: 1. Sclerotia Ballantyne, a new genus of fireflies with back swimming larvae 2. Triangulara Pimpasalee, a new genus from Thailand (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)". Zootaxa. 4170 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4170.2.1.
  2. "ITIS - Report: Sclerotia". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
Taxon identifiers
Sclerotia
Categories: