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Family Lampyridae - Fireflies
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Elateriformia)
Superfamily Elateroidea
Family Lampyridae (Fireflies)
Other Common Names Firefly Beetles, Lightning Bugs, Glowworms (1)Pronunciation lam-PEER-ih-dee Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Explanation of Names Lampyridae Rafinesque 1815
from lampyris 'glowworm' from Greek 'shining'
Numbers ~170 spp. in ~20 genera in our area (1), ~2200 described spp. in ~140 genera of 10 subfamilies worldwide and estimated thousands undescribed (3)(2)
Overview of our faunaFamily Lampyridae
Lampyridae incertae sedis Pollaclasis Identification Soft-bodied beetles; head concealed from above by pronotum (exposed in Cantharidae); last 2‒3 abdominal sternites often modified to light-emitting organs; tarsi 5-5-5
luminescence of Photinus is yellow; Photuris, green; Pyractomena, orange-yellow or amber (1)
guides to: eastern fauna (4) • northeastern spp. (5) • western fauna (6) • sw.US fauna (7)Habitat Larvae mostly in damp situations near creeks, ponds, or wetlands Food Larvae prey on small animals incl. snails, slugs, worms, and soft-bodied insects; adults of many genera do not feed. Female Photuris are known to lure Photinus males using the flash pattern of female Photinus, and eat them to get defensive chemicals (8)Remarks Most have chemical defenses, e.g. steroid-like molecules that are distasteful to predators (8)(9)(10).
Eggs, larvae, and pupae of all known species are bioluminescent, producing light to advertise their unpalatabily and deter predators ( aposematism), but many species lose this ability as adults (e.g. most Ellychnia spp.). Some, esp. Photinus, Photuris, and Pyractomena spp., have unique male courtship flash patterns. Photinus females do not fly but flash back to males of their species.
sexual dimorphism: females of several species (e.g. Pleotomus spp., Pleotomodes spp., Lucidota luteicollis, and several in Photinus) have shortened elytra and wings, and females or both sexes of Pyropyga nigricans from some sites have reduced wings and elytra. Brachyptery is not known in Photuris, Ellychnia, or Pyractomena. Females of Microphotus and Phausis are somewhat larva-like, but not necessarily larviform. (1)Works Cited | 1. | American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. |  |
| 2. | Higher-level phylogeny and reclassification of Lampyridae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)
Martin GJ, Stanger-Hall KF, Branham MA, Da Silveira LFL, Lower SE, Hall DW, Li X, Lemmon AR, Lemmon EM, Bybee SM. 2019. Insect Systematics & Diversity 3(6), 11: 1‒15. | |
| 5. | The fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) of Ontario
Luk S.P.L., Marshall S.A., Branham M.A. 2011. CJAI 16: 1‒105. | |
| 7. | Guide to Fireflies of the Southwest
Walker A. 2024. New Mexico BioPark Society, Albuquerque, NM. 91 pp. | |
| 8. | For Love of Insects
Thomas Eisner. 2003. Belknap Press. |  |
| 9. | Beetles of Western North America.
Evans, A.V. 2021. Princeton University Press. | |
| 11. | Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies
Sara Lewis. 2016. Princeton University Press. | |
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Phillip Harpootlian, Lynette Elliott, anitagould, Mike Quinn, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, roar, Kyhl Austin, Arturo SantosLast updated 16 July, 2024 - 1:13pm |
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