The genus Oculogryphus was established for a single male specimen of a peculiar species, Oculogryphus fulvus Jeng, from Vietnam (Jeng et al. 2007). A second species of the genus, also from Vietnam, was recently identified while examining material in the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Herein we describe and figure this new species and discuss some morphological variations between it and Oculogryphus fulvus, requiring a slight modification to the generic diagnosis. In addition, comments are provided regarding the phylogenetic position of Oculogryphus in the light of a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Lampyridae conducted by the senior author (Jeng 2008).

The methodology and morphological terminology used herein follows that of Jeng et al. (2007). The body length (BL) is the sum of the pronotal and elytral lengths (PL and EL, respectively) plus length of those exposed portions of the head from the pronotum; while body width is considered as twice the elytral width (BW = 2EW). Pronotal width was abbreviated as PW. The nomenclature of the hind wing venation follows that of Kukalová-Peck and Lawrence (2004) rather than that of Kukalová-Peck and Lawrence (1993) which was employed by Jeng et al. (2007). In reporting label data the symbol “/” indicates separate lines on a single labe, while “//” denotes material located on separate labels.

Oculogryphus bicolor sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:649F93C0-8F6F-46A8-A163-040DB4AFA3CE

http://species-id.net/wiki/Oculogryphus_bicolor

Figs 1–6

Holotype.

♂, “VIETNAM: Ha Tinh, Huong/ Son, 18°22'N, 106°13'E/ 900m, April 20–28, 1998/ Malaise, AMNH, Carpenter/ Grimaldi, Herman, Silva, Long”. Deposited in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology (Entomology), American Museum of Natural History, NY, with eventual deposition in the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources Collection (IEBR), Hanoi, Vietnam.

Paratypes.

4 ♂♂, with identical data as holotype; 1 ♂, with identical data except collected on 18 May 1998; 1 ♂, with identical data as holotype except collected at 600m above sea level on 7–14 April 1998 by K. Long; 1 ♂, with identical data as holotype except collected on 5 May 1998 by K. Long. All deposited in the AMNH.

Type-locality.

Vietnam, Ha Tinh Province, Huong Son, 18°22'N, 106°13'E.

Diagnosis.

The species has several diagnosable characters separating it from the type species: 1) body size slightly larger (6.2–8.2 vs. 6.0 mm); 2) more vivid light brown-tan bicoloration (Fig. 1); 3) slightly broader elytral epipleura (Fig. 2); 4) bifurcate MP3+4 in the hind wing (Fig. 3); 5) more slender metatibia (Fig. 4); and, 6) more elongate parameres in the male genitalia (Fig. 6).

Figure 1. Habitus of male of Oculogryphus bicolor sp. n. Scale bar = 1.5mm. Elytra somewhat twisted in outer margin of apical half due to dehydration.

Figures 2–4. Oculogryphus bicolor sp. n., male 2 basal part of right elytron, lateral aspect, showing epipleuron 3 right hind wing 4 left metatibia, from trochanter to pretarsal claws, ventral aspect.

Figures 5–6. Oculogryphus bicolor sp. n., male 5 aedeagal sheath, dorsal aspect 6 male genitalia, dorsal (A), ventral (B), and lateral (C) aspects.

Description.

Male. BL: 6.2–8.2 mm; BW: 2.7–3.4 mm; PW/PL = 1.5–1.6; EL/ EW = 3.6–3.8; EL/PL = 3.8–4.4; BW/PW = 1.4–1.5. The species is very similar to the type species in general morphology except the aforementioned differences, and need not be repeated here. As described for Oculogryphus fulvus except: aedeagal sheath has length of 0.9 mm and width of 0.6 mm; abdominal tergites IX and X clearly recognizable individually (Fig. 5); aedeagus about 0.75 mm in length and 0.4 mm broad; parameres comparatively elongate, about as long as basal piece laterally (Fig. 6).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the two-toned coloration which is more vivid in the new species than in Oculogryphus fulvus.

Phenology.

According to the available collection data, males appear at least from April to May.

Oculogryphus has a mosaic of features intermingling those of Rhagophthalmidae (e.g., large and posteriorly emarginate compound eyes), Luciolinae (e.g., large head partially exposed from pronotum; filiform antennae), Ototretinae (e.g., similar morphology of abdomen; symmetrical aedeagal sheath and aedeagus; absence of lanterns), Ototretadrilinae (e.g., abdominal spiracles not enclosed by parasternites), and Lampyrinae (e.g., ventrally approximate compound eyes) (Jeng et al. 2007). Based on their morphological comparison across 80 documented genera of Lampyridae, Jenget al. (2007) inferred that the genus was either a member of Ototretinae or a stem taxon linking Luciolinae and some basal lineages of Lampyridae. It now appears that this inference was quite accurate. In the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Lampyridae conducted to date (Jeng 2008, in prep.), Oculogryphus was found to be the sister group of Stenocladius Fairmaire within the paraphyletic group of Ototretinae-Ototretadrilinae complex (both subfamilies were defined by Crowson 1972). Morphologically this position appears intuitive, and seems further supported by the discovery of Oculogryphus bicolor which shows an even more similar morphology with that of Stenocladius, especially in the aedeagal sheath and male genitalia (cf. Kawashima 1999). However, Stenocladius is a problematic taxon. The type species, Stenocladius davidis Fairmaire from China, has pectinate antennae bearing branches arising from the base of flagellar articles I–VIII, and with flagellar articles that are not abbreviated. All Stenocladius species from Japan, Taiwan, and adjacent islands share a more-or-less uniform male genital structure (Kawashima 1999). By contrast, some species of Stenocladius are questionably assigned to this genus, especially those from India and Sri Lanka [e.g., Stenocladius basalis Pic which was the only representative of Stenocladius examined by Crowson (1972) when establishing his new subfamilial classification for Lampyridae]. We have termed the former group as Stenocladius s. str. so as to differentiate them from those atypical group(s) within the genus. Several significant differences have been detected among these atypical species, such as the position of the abdominal spiracles (enclosed by parasternites rather than adjacent to them), a different kind of pectinate antennae (abbreviated flagellar articles and branches arising from the article apex rather than the base), and male genitalia (short median lobe and parameres somewhat hooked inward apically or subapically). It is likely that many of the Oriental Stenocladius do not truly belong to this genus but are allied to some other ototretines. Further differentiation of Stenocladius is under investigation by the senior author. Regardless, the discovery of enigmatic new taxa like Oculogryphus bicolor and the recognition of significant difficulties in the current classification of some diverse genera, highlights the need for continued exploration and taxonomic study of Asian Lampyridae.