1941] 
Larviform Female Lamprophorus 
41 
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LARVIFORM FEMALE OF 
THE LAMPYRID BEETLE, LAMPROPHORUS 
By Charles T. Brues, 
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University 
In looking over the collection of larvae of malacoderm 
beetles in the Museum of Comparative Zoology searching 
for specimens of the remarkable Lycidae commonly known 
as “trilobite larvae”, I noted two specimens from Ceylon that 
represent the larva and larviform adult female of a species 
of Lamprophorus. The label indicates that these were re- 
ceived from F. Layard in January, 1865. Like the other 
known members of the genus the female larva attains a 
large size which corresponds to that of the adult female, in 
this case about 70 mm. 
An early reference to these larviform lampyrids is a note 
on page xlviii the Proceedings of the London Entomological 
Society for 1908 that mentions the exhibition by C. J. Gahan 
of specimens of Lamprophorus (Lamprigera) and Dioptoma 
and sets forth briefly the slight differences that distinguish 
the sexually mature female from the larva. In the same 
journal for 1912 (p. 178) Green gives a very brief descrip- 
tion of the “grub-like” female of Dioptoma adamsi Pasc. 
with an account of the luminous organs which are present 
in both sexes. Dioptoma is now placed in the related family 
Rhagophthalmidae although Lamprophorus is still retained 
in the Lampyridse. 
Blair 1 has described a larva, probably of Lamprophorus 
boyei Mots, from Sumatra. These larvae were collected to- 
gether with the male of this species at two localities. In the 
same paper he records the female of L. tenebrosus Walk. 
from Ceylon, definitely identified as it was taken in coitu with 
the male. He notes that it is of very similar form to the 
larva, “but of pale colour with more feebly chitinized in- 
Uourn. Fed. Malay States Mus., vol. 8, p. 176 (1928). 
