The Elateroidea are a large superfamily of beetles. It contains the familiar click beetles, fireflies, and soldier beetles and their relatives. It consists of about 25,000 species.
Pyrophorus is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. Their bioluminescence is similar to that of another group of beetles, the fireflies, although click beetles do not flash, but remain constantly glowing. They have two luminescent spots at the posterior corners of the pronotum, and another brighter light organ on the most-anterior surface of the ventral abdomen. This light organ is even brighter and can only be seen when in flight. Bioluminescent click beetles are found throughout tropical, subtropical and temperate America. Species from Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Cuba are now in different genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, such as Deilelater and Ignelater.
Ignelater luminosus is a bioluminescent species of click beetle native to the island of Puerto Rico, one of several Caribbean species in the genus Ignelater that are known as cucubanos. Cucubanos are often confused with fireflies, which are in a different family (Lampyridae), but they emit light from the thorax, unlike true fireflies. Their paired prothorax light organs and single light organ on the anterior surface of the abdomen gives the appearance of two "headlights" and one "backlight", which it can turn off independently.
Pyrophorus tuberculifer is a species of click beetle.
Pyrearinus candelarius is a species of click beetle.
Pyrearinus is a genus of click beetle.
Agrypnini is a tribe of click beetles in the family Elateridae.
Agrypninae is a subfamily of click beetles in the family Elateridae. There are at least 130 genera and more than 430 described species in Agrypninae.
Ignelater is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. This genus was established by Cleide Costa in 1975. Most of the species were formerly in the genus Pyrophorus.
Deilelater is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. This genus was established by Cleide Costa in 1975, with 7 species split from Pyrophorus.
Vesperelater is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. This genus was established by Cleide Costa in 1975, with 4 species split from Pyrophorus.
The Pyrophorini are a New World taxonomic tribe within the Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae. Pyrophorini is a tribe of bioluminescent beetles, and includes such genera as Pyrophorus and Ignelater.
The Euplinthini form an accepted taxonomic tribe within the Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae.
The Oophorini form an accepted taxonomic tribe within the Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae.
Campyloxenus is a bioluminescent genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae, and had been the sole member of the subfamily Campyloxeninae, until another monotypic genus Malalcahuello was described from Chile in 2015 as its new member. There is one described species in Campyloxenus, Campyloxenus pyrothorax, from southwestern Chile and Argentina.
Oxynopterus mucronatus, sometimes known as the giant click beetle, is a species of click beetle from tropical Southeast Asia. Their larvae are specialized predators of termites.
Ampedus is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. There are currently 461 recognized species of Ampedus beetles. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, but is found mostly in the Holarctic region, primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The oldest known fossil from this genus was found in Eocene Baltic amber, estimated to be from 38.0 to 33.9 million years ago.
Anaissini is a tribe of click beetles in the family Elateridae.
Sergio Antonio Vanin was an entomologist at the University of São Paulo. As student and professor, he served more than 50 years in that institution, being recognized as Professor Emeritus in 2018. During his career, he produced 108 publications and advised 16 graduate students, having a large influence in the adoption of phylogenetic systematics in Brazil.
Hypsiophthalmus is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini. This genus was established by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1834 posthumously and then reviewed by Cleide Costa in 1975 and in 1979.
