Geographic differences in allometric patterns of males of the Japanese firefly Luciola parvula

It has been well known for many years that males of Luciola parvula (Coleoptera, Lampyridae) have two morphs, namely small and large morphs in Japan. This article performed a statistical reanalysis of their morphological measurements based on previously published data and compared them. As a result, the two morphs were found to have different allometric patterns in the Hakone and Nagano areas, Japan. In Hakone, the relationships between their pronotum width and length were expressed by a common allometric line and a shift in location along the line. However, in Nagano, the relationships between their pronotum width and body length were expressed by two parallel allometric lines (a common slope and different intercepts). The allometric pattern of males of this species may vary among different parts of the body or among different areas. Therefore, this article recommends future studies to measure the same parts of the body as previous studies to clarify geographic variation in allometric relationships.