Firefly

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Firefly

For the TV show, see Firefly (TV series).

Fireflies (family Lampyridae), also known as lightning bugs, are nocturnal, luminous beetles. These names come from the fact that some species as adults emit flashes of light to attract mates in order to reproduce, using special light-emitting organs in the abdomen. The enzyme luciferase acts on the substrate luciferin to stimulate light emission. This reaction is of scientific interest, and genes coding for these substances have been spliced into many different organisms.

Many species, especially in the genus Photinus, are distinguished by the unique courtship flash patterns emitted by flying males as they search for females. Photinus females generally do not fly, but give a flash response to males of their own species. Female Photuris fireflies are known for mimicking the mating flashes of other fireflies for the sole purpose of predation ^*.

Many species of lampyrid beetles do not glow as adults, but they all glow as larvae. The larvae of fireflies are generally known as glowworms (but see Phengodidae). Bioluminescence serves a different function in lampyrid larvae than it does in adults. Larval bioluminescence appears to be a warning signal to predators, since many firefly larvae contain chemicals that are distasteful or toxic. Many species have larviform females, which can often only be distinguished from the larvae by examination of the eyes; adult females have compound eyes, larvae do not. The larvae of most species are specialized predators and feed on other larvae, terrestrial snails, and slugs. The diet of adults is not entirely clear. It has been reported that some are predatory and some feed on plant pollen or nectar.

There are more than 2000 species of firefly, found in temperate and tropical environments around the world. Most fireflies in the United States are found east of the Rocky Mountains. At one point, Indiana seriously considered making the Say's Firefly the state insect, but the legislature never put the measure to a vote. The Firefly is the state insect of Pennsylvania.

The ancient Chinese sometimes captured fireflies in transparent or semi-transparent containers and used them as (short-term) lanterns.

Tropical fireflies, particularly in Southeast Asia (Thailand and Malaysia) routinely synchronize their flashes among large groups, a startling example of spontaneous biological order. This phenomenon occurs through the night along river banks in the Malaysian jungles every day of the year. The phenomenon is significantly more rare in the Western hemisphere. Current hypotheses about the causes range from diet, social interaction and altitude. In the United States, one of the most famous sightings of fireflies blinking in unison occur near Elkmont, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains during the second week of June Congaree National Park in South Carolina is host to the phenomenon at points at or above 2,000 feet in elevation^*.

Fireflies overwinter (sometimes for several years, depending on the species) during the larval stage by burrowing underground and emerge in the spring. After several weeks of feeding, they pupate for 2-2.5 weeks and emerge as adults.

A few days after mating, a fertilized female will lay her eggs on or just below the surface of the ground. The eggs will hatch in 3-4 weeks and the larva will feed until the end of the summer when they will burrow underground to overwinter.

References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi
http://www.iisc.ernet.in/academy/resonance/Sept2002/pdf/Sept2002p49-55.pdf
Branham, M. A., and J. W. Wenzel. 2003. The origin of photic behavior and the evolution of sexual communication in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). Cladistics 19: 1-22.

External links

Facts about Lampyridae
Firefly sighting reports
Nitric oxide and Firefly Flashing has a detailed molecular description.
Lightning bugs
Afterglow - Is it lights out for fireflies? (Failure magazine, June 2003)

Beetles | Bioluminescent organisms

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References

External links