Photinus carolinus

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Photinus carolinus
PhotinusCarolinus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Lampyridae
Genus: Photinus
Species:
P. carolinus
Binomial name
Photinus carolinus
Green, 1956 [2]

Photinus carolinus, commonly known as the Smokies synchronous firefly, [3] is a species of rover firefly whose mating displays of synchronous flashing have fascinated both scientists and tourists. [4] As individual females synchronize with males nearby, waves of alternating bright light and darkness seem to travel across the landscape. Firefly displays typically occur in early June near Elkmont, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Gatlinburg. The species can be found in isolated pockets of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. [3]

Contents

Description

P. carolinus is a medium-sized beetle, with adults measuring 11–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The adults have dark wing covers, or elytra, with light-colored side margins, and a pale yellow head shield, or pronotum, with a dark rectangular mark in the center and very thin black edging on the sides. Males have pale lanterns on segments 6 and 7 of their abdomen, and females have one lantern on segment 6. The rest of the abdomen is uniformly dark. [3]

Etymology

Photinus is from the Greek word for shining or bright. [5] The specific epithet refers to North Carolina, where the species was originally found. [3]

Life Cycle

Beetles such as P. carolinus go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Photinus fireflies spend the majority of their lives as larvae, which are bioluminescent and likely live below the soil surface, eating snails, worms, and other soft-bodied invertebrates. Adults appear in early summer, from late May to June. [3]

Behavior

A typical Photinus is a "lightning-bug firefly" (as opposed to the so-called "glowworm firefly") because it emits light in its winged (imago) stage. Both male and female adults produce mating signals with an abdominal light organ or "lantern". Members of Photinus are called "rover fireflies" because typically males fly about singly, not in groups, flashing a species-specific pattern until a receptive female responds with her species-specific flashing signal. [6]

Photinus Carolinus fireflies in Pennsylvania, 2013 Photinus Carolinus Fireflies.jpg
Photinus Carolinus fireflies in Pennsylvania, 2013

P. carolinus was the first North American species found to show synchronized flashing behavior. Synchronized flashing by male fireflies is common in South Asia, where huge aggregates of males perch on specific trees to create a bright display of flashing. The synchronized flashing of P. carolinus males occurs in aggregates of flying fireflies. [7]

The timing of flashing depends somewhat on temperature, but the flash pattern of a male P. carolinus is typically four to eight very bright flashes emitted over two to four seconds, followed by a dark period of eight to 12 seconds. The female reply is much less bright, a pulsed signal during the dark period of the male. [8] Scientists have suggested one reason for the synchronized flashing is to create a synchronized dark period, during which males can search for female responses without being distracted by signals from other males. [8]

When males of P. carolinus detect a female response, a cluster of males forms around the female. When she lands, the males land nearby but not directly on top of her. As many as 20 males may energetically walk, flash, and attempt to mount the female or nearby males. The female does not necessarily mate with the first male to reach her, but may avoid several males before permitting one to begin copulation. In the early stages of copulation, other males may try to separate the couple, but once the mating pair has moved to stage 2 copulation (tail-to-tail), the unmated males fly off to seek females elsewhere. [9]

Habitat

In the southern part of its range, P. carolinus is usually found in hardwood forests that are 65 years old or older, in mountain river valleys at elevations from 1,400–6,000 feet (430–1,830 m). In Pennsylvania and New York, the species is found at lower elevations, 1,000–2,000 feet (300–610 m). [3]

Range

P. carolinus is found in isolated pockets throughout the Appalachian Mountains, including in northern Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. [3] One of its small populations is in Elkmont, Tennessee. [8] The species is also found elsewhere in the Smoky Mountains, usually at elevations near 2,000 feet (610 m), and has been observed as far north as Pennsylvania. [10]

Tourist attraction

Increasing numbers of people come each year to a trailhead near Elkmont to see them. Scientists use a degree day model to try to predict the onset of each year's peak display. [11]

Driving and parking near Great Smoky Mountains National Park are strictly regulated during the two-week P. carolinus mating season. Would-be visitors are required to park at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and wait for a trolley to take them to the viewing site. [12] On weekends there may be a four-hour wait for transportation. [13]

The firefly display near Elkmont attracted more than a thousand visitors nightly in early June 2011. A biologist who has studied the fireflies expressed concern about increased crowds at the park, saying, "The bulk of people are respectful ... But the total number of people is obscene." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefly</span> Family of beetles

The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production of light, mainly during twilight, to attract mates. Light production in the Lampyridae is thought to have originated as a warning signal that the larvae were distasteful. This ability to create light was then co-opted as a mating signal and, in a further development, adult female fireflies of the genus Photuris mimic the flash pattern of the Photinus beetle in order to trap their males as prey.

<i>Photuris</i> Genus of beetles

Photuris is a genus of fireflies. These are the femme fatale lightning bugs of North America. This common name refers to a behavior of the adult females of these predatory beetles; they engage in aggressive mimicry, imitating the light signals of other firefly species' females to attract mates – but Photuris use it to attract, kill and eat the unsuspecting males of those other species. Their flashing bioluminescent signals seem to have evolved independently and eventually adapted to those of their prey, mainly unrelated Lampyrinae, such as Photinus or Pyractomena.

<i>Phausis reticulata</i> Species of beetle

Phausis reticulata, commonly referred to as the blue ghost is a species of firefly found in the eastern and central United States. The species is common in the southern Appalachians, and can be seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as North Carolina's DuPont State Forest, the Pisgah National Forest, and the Green River Gamelands in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania Counties.

<i>Photuris pensylvanica</i> Species of beetle

Photuris pensylvanica, known by the common names Pennsylvania firefly, lightning bug, dot-dash firefly and glowworm, is a species of firefly from the United States and Canada. It is also widely known under the Latin name Photuris pennsylvanica, although the original spelling, with one "n", was common in Latinized names of the time and remains the valid name.

<i>Photinus pyralis</i> Species of beetle

Photinus pyralis, also known by the common names the common eastern firefly or big dipper firefly, and sometimes called a "lightning bug", is a species of flying beetle. An organ on its abdomen is responsible for its light production. It is the most common species of firefly in North America, and is typically found east of the Rocky Mountains. Photinus fireflies are often confused with fireflies of the similar-sounding genus, Photuris, which are also found in North America.

<i>Photinus</i> (beetle) Genus of beetles

The rover fireflies (Photinus) are a genus of fireflies. They are the type genus of tribe Photinini in subfamily Lampyrinae. This genus contains, for example, the common eastern firefly, the most common species of firefly in North America.

Photuris versicolor, is a species complex of firefly common throughout the Eastern United States. Fireflies famously use flash-based visual signalling to find mates at a distance and each species of firefly has a unique flash pattern sequence that males and females of the same species use to identify one another. Researchers have documented the ability of female P. versicolor to hunt males of other firefly species by mimicking the flash responses of female fireflies of other species. Photuris versicolor appear to target males, such as Photinus pyralis, specifically for the lucibufagin steroids that their prey produce.

<i>Nipponoluciola cruciata</i> Species of beetle

Nipponoluciola cruciata, known as "genji-botaru" (ゲンジボタル) in Japanese, is a species of firefly found in Japan. Its habitat is small ditches and streams, and its larvae are aquatic. It was formerly known as Luciola cruciata but was revised taxonomically in 2022.

<i>Ellychnia corrusca</i> Species of beetle

Ellychnia corrusca, the winter firefly, is a species of firefly in the genus Ellychnia. It is a lantern-less diurnal beetle common in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The adults spend winter on a colony tree, favoring Quercus (oak), Carya (hickory), and Liriodendron tulipifera.

<i>Aquatica lateralis</i> Species of insect of the genus Luciola

Aquatica lateralis, known as "heike-botaru" (ヘイケボタル) in Japanese, is a species of firefly found in Russia, Japan and Korea. It was formerly placed in the genus Luciola. The larvae are aquatic and live in rice paddies.

Photinus consanguineus, or double cousin firefly, is a species of firefly in the genus Photinus. It is found in eastern North America.

Photinus macdermotti, or Father Mac's firefly or Mr. Mac, is a species of firefly in the family Lampyridae. It is found in North America.

Photinus brimleyi, or sidewinder firefly is a species of firefly in the Photinus genus. It is found in the southeastern United States.

<i>Lucidota atra</i> Species of beetle

Lucidota atra, the black firefly or woodland lucy, is a diurnal species of firefly — a member of the Lampyridae family of beetles.

Photinus cookii, or Cook's firefly is a species of day-active firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is found in North America in the Eastern USA, including Florida and Texas.

<i>Photinus consimilis</i> Species of beetle

Photinus consimilis, or cattail flash-train firefly, is a species of firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is found in eastern North America.

<i>Photinus indictus</i> Species of beetle

Photinus indictus, or silent firefly, is a species of firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is a diurnal firefly, active during the day rather than at night, with no lanterns. It is found in eastern North America.

Photinus tenuicinctus, or thinly-girdled firefly or Ozark spark, is a species of firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is found in the Ozarks in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Phausis inaccensa, also known as the shadow ghost, is a species of firefly in the family of beetles known as Lampyridae. It is found in central and eastern United States. The larviform females of the species are bioluminescent, whereas the males are winged but lanternless.

<i>Pteroptyx</i> Genus of fireflies

Pteroptyx is a genus of fireflies in the subfamily Luciolinae found in Southeast Asia. It has long been noted for the ability to perform synchronous flashing, though not all species synchronize. These synchronizing species have been found on so-called 'firefly trees' and created a growing firefly-watching tour industry in some regions. Species of the genus have been identified in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.

References

  1. ↑ Walker, A. & Faust, L. 2021 (2021). "Photinus carolinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021. IUCN: e.T164076182A166771773. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T164076182A166771773.en . S2CID   240975288.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Green, J.W. (1956). "Revision of the Nearctic species of Photinus (Lampyridae: Coleoptera)" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Fourth. 28 (15): 561–613. ISSN   0068-547X.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. University of Georgia Press. ISBN   978-0-8203-4872-8.
  4. ↑ Imbler, Sabrina (2021-07-07). "How Swarms of Fireflies Sync Their Flashes". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  5. ↑ "φωτεινός". Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 17 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Buck, John; Elizabeth Buck (1978). "Toward a Functional Interpretation of Synchronous Flashing by Fireflies". The American Naturalist. 112 (985): 471–492. doi:10.1086/283291. JSTOR   2460117. S2CID   4954603.
  7. ↑ Omara-Otunnu, Elizabeth. "Neurobiologist Unraveling Mysteries of Fireflies' Flash". University of Connecticut Advance. Retrieved 17 June 2011. During the breeding season in June, groups of hundreds of male fireflies of the species Photinus carolinus fly above the ground for about two hours each evening looking for mates. As they fly, they emit tiny bright flashes in unison. They wink their lights in bursts of four to eight at a rate of two flashes per second, then pause for up to 10 seconds, stopping simultaneously.
  8. 1 2 3 Faust, Lynn. "The Night Lights of Elkmont" (PDF). Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  9. ↑ Copeland, J.; Moiseff, A.; Faust, L. (14 January 2008). "Landing Distance in a Synchronic North American Firefly". Physiological Entomology. 33 (2): 110–115. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3032.2007.00611.x. S2CID   84762119.
  10. ↑ Millus, Susan. "U.S. fireflies flashing in unison". Science News. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  11. ↑ Faust, LF; PA Weston (2009). "Degree-day prediction of adult emergence of Photinus carolinus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)". Environmental Entomology. 38 (5): 1505–12. doi: 10.1603/022.038.0519 . PMID   19825306.
  12. ↑ "Great Smoky Mountains National Park Synchronous Fireflies in Elkmont, June 4–12, 2011". PigeonForge.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011. "Our main objectives," Ditmanson said, "are to improve the experience by minimizing crowded conditions thereby reducing safety and traffic concerns and curtailing potential resource damage.
  13. 1 2 Brown, Robbie (15 June 2011). "Fireflies, Following Their Leader, Become a Tourist Beacon". NY Times. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
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