I decided to edit this question to show the right/ correct things and erase those clearly wrong in order to avoid confusion.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285849945_Biology_and_behaviour_of_European_lampyrids
I have been reading De Cook 2009 paper Biology and behaviour of European Lampyrids (where is said the female light pattern consists a normal looking adult lampyrid-like light organ in ventral segments V and VI [...], and depending on the individual or species an additional number of 4 to 12 smaller lateral light spots in the abdominal segments that are “inherited” from the larval stages) but I didn't find anything related to dorsal glow spots also in thoracic segments of the female Lamprohiza mulsantii. But in a private mesage he told me there are glow spots also in thoracic segments. It's also in the literature: Olivier 1884 (il existe en outre un point d’un blanc de cire à chaque côté des segments supérieurs de l’abdomen, le long des bords latéraux, et un autre à la base de chacune des élytres), Bourgeois 1894 (bandes lumineuses sur les 5e et 6e arceaux ventraux et foyers lumineux sur la base des élytres et sur les cotés des arceaux dorsaux) and Bougnion 1929 (including a drawing), for instance. As Raphaël de Cock told me, the thoracic spots origin is the metanotum (and not the mesonotum as I stated previously).
I draw this echeme of the dorsal segments and made an interpretation of three pictures of different females (with the "glow spots formula"). The green circles are the more common glow spots; the yellow ones are the rare ones.
(The numbered female is an own picture; the collage of two pictures is from Xevi Béjar)
Here is another picture found at iNaturalist:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45016139
Another female found at Insecte.org
https://www.insecte.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=200543&hilit=234216
Before thr edit of the original question comment: From looking at your images, what you describe as metanotum is actually the first abdominal segment. The mesonotum bearing wing stumps is a very short segment mostly hidden under the wings and what you can see in between them is the actual metanotum. So it seems, the light spots are placed in the first segment on abdomen, very anteriorly and light up the wings as well as the meatnotum.
Post-edit comment: I still think the most anterior spots are actually glowing from abdominal segment I, but they are on the edge of it. Further investigation is however required to prove/disprove this.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biology