Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some bioluminescent bacteria and terrestrial invertebrates such as fireflies. In some animals, the light is bacteriogenic, produced by symbiotic organisms such as Vibrio bacteria; in others, it is autogenic, produced by the animals themselves.
Luciferin is a generic term for the light-emitting compound found in organisms that generate bioluminescence. Luciferins typically undergo an enzyme-catalysed oxidation and the resulting excited state intermediate emits light upon decaying to its ground state. This may refer to molecules that are substrates for both luciferases and photoproteins.
The beetle family Phengodidae is known also as glowworm beetles, whose larvae are known as glowworms. The females and larvae have bioluminescent organs. They occur throughout the New World from extreme southern Canada to Chile. The family Rhagophthalmidae, an Old World group, used to be included in the Phengodidae.
Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include members of the families Elateridae, Lampyridae, Phengodidae, and Rhagophthalmidae among beetles; as well as members of the genera Arachnocampa, Keroplatus, and Orfelia among keroplatid fungus gnats.
Foxfire, also called fairy fire or chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with a luciferin. The phenomenon has been known since ancient times, with its source determined in 1823.
The Elateroidea are a large superfamily of beetles. It contains the familiar click beetles, fireflies, and soldier beetles and their relatives.
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 spot in the dorsal region of the abdomen. This spot 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, and Cuba are now in different genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, such as Deilelater.
Agrypnus murinus is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae.
Chalcolepidius limbatus is a species of beetles in the family Elateridae.
Pyrophorus noctilucus, common name Headlight Elater, is a species of click beetle.
Pyrophorus punctatissimus is a species of click beetle.
Pyrophorus tuberculifer is a species of click beetle.
Oculogryphus chenghoiyanae, is a species of firefly beetles belonging to the family Lampyridae. It is endemic to Hong Kong.
Balgus is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the family which contain at least one bioluminescent species. The genus was originally placed in the family Eucnemidae, later transferred to Throscidae, but recent classifications establish them firmly within Elateridae.
Ignelater is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. Most of the species were formerly in the genus Pyrophorus.
Vesperelater is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. Most of the species were formerly in the genus 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 Heligmini form a deprecated taxonomic tribe within the Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae. The tribe was renamed 'Cleidecostini' in 2002. The taxa was considered a subtribe (Cleidecostina) of the tribe Euplinthini in 2011. The taxa Heligmini is very closely related to the currently accepted tribe Pyrophorini; the latter is exclusively bioluminescent with adult light organs, while the former have not even the slightest trace of adult light organs. At least once species of Heligmini larvae have light organs and are bioluminescent. The taxa is thought to be monophyletic, and Heligmini and Pyrophorini together are thought to form a monophyletic group.
Sinopyrophorus is a genus of bioluminescent click beetle in the family Elateridae, and is the sole member of the subfamily Sinopyrophorinae. The subfamily represents the only bioluminescent click beetles known from Asia. The genus contains a single species, Sinopyrophorus schimmeli, which was described in 2019.
