Oculogryphus Jeng, Engel, and Yang, 2007

JENG, M. - L., ENGEL, MICHAEL S. & YANG, P. - S., 2007, Oculogryphus, A Remarkable New Genus of Fireflies from Asia (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), American Museum Novitates 3600, pp. 1-20 : 4-7

Oculogryphus Jeng, Engel, and Yang ,

new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Oculogryphus fulvus Jeng , new species (fig. 1).

DIAGNOSIS: The new genus can be readily diagnosed by the following combination of characters: partially exposed head; 11-articled, filiform antennae; large compound eyes that are emarginate posteriorly and approximate ventrally; strongly curved and crossing mandibles with pointed apex; narrowly explanate pronotal margins and close pronotal hypomeron; epipleuron restricted to basal half of elytra; eight abdominal ventrites (including exposed sternite of aedeagal sheath); abdominal tergites not lobed; absence of photogenic organs and tibial spurs; and progressively shortened tarsomeres 1–4. These characters intermingle diagnostic features of Luciolinae , Rhagophthalminae , and Ototretinae , but none of the three subfamilies possess all of these characters.

DESCRIPTION: Male. Body shape elongate oval, somewhat depressed and fully winged. Head (fig. 2) largely exposed from pronotum when retracted, intermediate between prognathous and hypognathous. Compound eyes very large, occupying most of head laterally and with hind margins remarkably emarginate (fig. 3); compound eyes separated from each other in dorsal aspect by about one-third head width and approximate ventrally (fig. 4). Vertex flat or slightly depressed. Antennal calli (convexity above antennal sockets: see DuPorte, 1960) weakly convex; antennal socket elongate elliptical in shape, moderately distant from labrum, with antennifer in lower margin of socket; space between antennal sockets slightly convex, about as broad as one-half width of socket; antennae 11-articled, filiform, reaching elytral base when in repose; scape and pedicel elongate, longer in former; flagellar articles cylindrical and densely setose. Lower margin of clypeus broadly and roundly emarginate. Labrum sclerotized, notched medioapically. Mandibles well developed, strong and nearly uniform in diameter to near tip, curved and pointed apically. Maxillae with cardines approximate each other at base; maxillary palpi with four palpomeres, labial palpi with three palpomeres, both with slightly dilated, thick, terminal palpomeres and budlike apices, without thin ridge or tooth on inner side. Ventral margin of occipital foramen emarginate, reaching basal one-third of head length. Gula very narrow. Posterior tentorial pits immediately behind labrum, at about middle of head. Margins of hypostoma convergent toward base (fig. 4).

Pronotum (fig. 2) transverse, subparallelsided, punctate, and pubescent throughout; mostly opaque although translucent on margins; anterior margin broadly rounded, without clear anterolateral angles; central disc evenly convex (fig. 3), with median sulcus; apical and lateral explanate margins very narrow; posterolateral angles large and nearly orthogonal; posterior margin weakly sinuate, broadly impressed on inner base of posterior angles. Hypomeron close in frontal aspect, with inner margin attending anterolateral margin of pronotum. Prosternum (fig. 4) with an inverted Y-shaped, short and broad intercoxal process. Mesoventrite separated from mesopleurites by a clear suture (fig. 4). Metaventrite notched medioapically. Elytra elongate oval, well paired along midline; carinae weak; lateral explanate margins narrow; surface covered with fine setae. Humeral area of elytra (fig. 5) roundly folded toward marginal costa; epipleura narrow, deeply folded, barely visible laterally, extending from humeral base to basal one-third of elytra. Venation of hind wing (fig. 8) with reduction of crossveins; radial cell incomplete; MP 3+4 and CuA 1+2 not connected by crossveins and not branched. Legs long and slender. Front trochantins setiferous but glabrous in middle legs. Mesocoxae moderately separated from each other; metacoxae narrowly separated from each other. Tibial spurs absent. Tarsi (fig. 9) about as long as their tibiae in middle and hind legs; tarsomeres progressively shorter from 1–4, cylindrical and slender in 1–3; tarsomere 4 with tarsal pulvilla and lobed, widely open in dorsal cleft (fig. 9); pretarsal claws simple.

Abdomen with eight ventrites (fig. 11, S2– 9), reaching elytral apices. Spiracles in lateral folded, membranous pleurites, not visible ventrally. Tergites invisible in ventral aspect, not lobed and with rounded posterior angles. Apical margin of ventrite 7 (5 S8) simple; exposed portion of V8 (5 S9) semirounded. Aedeagal sheath basically symmetric, broad and short; T9 and T10 individually distinct; S9 broad at base. Male genitalia modified trilobed, bilaterally symmetric; much smaller than aedeagal sheath; median lobe uniformly broad, arched upward in apical half; parameres broad in lateral aspect and forming a Vshaped band in dorsal aspect; basal piece large and symmetric.

Female. Unknown.

ECOLOGY: Unknown; see Discussion, below.

ETYMOLOGY: The new genus-group name is a combination of the Latin terms oculus (meaning ‘‘eye’’) and gryphus (meaning ‘‘griffin’’, originally a mythological creature from Asia adopted by the Greeks and with a mix of features from a lion and an eagle. The idea of the griffin perhaps stemmed from ancient people’s seeing the exposed remains of Protoceratops: Mayor, 2000 ). The name is a reference to the characteristic eyes and the ambiguous, subfamilial identity of the new genus. The name is masculine.

DIVERSITY: The type species is presently the only known member of the genus.