| Pyropyga minuta | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Pyropyga |
| Species: | P. minuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Pyropyga minuta (LeConte, 1852) | |
Pyropyga minuta, or flower elf, [2] is a species of day-active firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is found in Central America and North America. [3] [4]
P. minuta is a tiny beetle, with adults measuring 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long. Its wing covers, or elytra, and its body are solid black. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a narrow, dark rectangular bar in the center, reaching from the top of the pronotum to the base. The bar flares wider towards the bottom and is bounded on the sides by red. Like the other fireflies in the Pyropyga genus, P. minuta does not have working lanterns on its abdomen. [2]
The genus name Pyropyga is from Greek, combining "pyro", meaning "fire", and "pyga", meaning "rump" or "tail". The specific epithet, minuta, refers to the firefly's very small size. [2]
Beetles such as P. minuta go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Although the adults don't have lanterns and therefore do not flash, the larvae of P. minuta are bioluminescent, like all fireflies. Larvae are believed to be subterranean, living under the soil. [2]
P. minuta is a non-flashing firefly, active during the day rather than at night, and they are seen most often in June and July, although they have been found as early as April and as late as September. It is thought that these fireflies locate a mate using pheromones, unlike flashing fireflies, which locate a mate through flash signals at night. [2]
Adults are seen during the day in gardens, yards, open woodlands, fencerows, and open areas, often on leaves or on flowers. [2]
P. minuta lives in the southern United States, as far west as New Mexico and as far north as Kansas and North Carolina. They are also found in Mexico and as far south as Guatemala and Honduras. [1] [2]
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.
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.
Lampyris noctiluca, the common glow-worm of Europe, is the type species of beetle in the genus Lampyris and the family Lampyridae.
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.
Photinus carolinus, commonly known as the Smokies synchronous firefly, is a species of rover firefly whose mating displays of synchronous flashing have fascinated both scientists and tourists. 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.
Ellychnia is a genus of fireflies. First defined by Émile Blanchard in 1845, the genus contains 24 species, which are widespread in the United States. Adults are black, with rose-colored marks on the pronotum; sexual dimorphism is unknown. These beetles are active during the day, and have no light-producing organs as adults; instead, they attract mates using chemical signals. The larvae of Ellychnia fireflies live in rotting logs.
Aquatica ficta is a species of firefly found in Taiwan and parts of China. It was formerly placed in the genus Luciola. Its habitat is still water, and the larvae are aquatic.
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.
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.
Pyropyga is a genus of primarily North American fireflies in the beetle family Lampyridae. There are about 13 described species in Pyropyga. It is among the genera of Lampyridae where both sexes of adults have no bioluminescent organs.
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.
Photinus consimilis, or cattail flash-train firefly, is a species of firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is found in eastern North America.
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.
Abscondita chinensis, is a species of firefly beetle found in India, China and Sri Lanka.
