The occurrence and behaviors of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) on milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L.
By Faust, L. and H. Faust.
BioOne
Lynn Faust and Hugh Faust. 2014. The occurrence and behaviors of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) on milkweed,
Asclepias syriaca L. The Coleopterists Bulletin 68(2): 283-291.
Abstract
At four sites spanning a general triangle with 50–100 km legs in East Tennessee over a six-week period in July and August 2013, 56 fireflies, male and female, from four species and three genera were associated with common milkweed,
Asclepias syriaca L.
Photinus pyralis (L.),
Photinus cooki Green,
Pyropyga minuta LeConte, and an [un]determined species of
Photuris Dejean repeatedly exhibited seven common behaviors of nectaring from individual blooms and stigmatic slits and actively mouthing floral stems, recurved sepals, and uppermost leaves, lasting from 9–175+ minutes.