Photurinae

Photurinae
Adult Photuris lucicrescens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Family: Lampyridae
Subfamily: Photurinae
Genera

Bicellonycha Motschulsky, 1853
Photuris Dejean, 1833
Presbyolampis Buck, 1947
Pyrogaster Motschulsky, 1853

The Photurinae are a subfamily of the Lampyridae (fireflies). They are among the flashing (as opposed to continuously glowing) fireflies known as "lightning bugs" in North America. The anterior ends of the elytra sit higher than the pronotum, giving the Photurinae a characteristic "hunched" posture.[1]

The Photurinae are sister to the large subfamily Lampyrinae, which contain species that also produce flashing for sexual signaling. It is yet unknown whether the ability to flash in these subfamilies is a homology or a product of convergent evolution.[2]

There are four genera in the Photurinae. The genus Photuris is often called "firefly femmes fatales"[3] and is found in both North and South America, containing many of the well-known North American species such as Photuris pensylvanica, the state insect of Pennsylvania, and the critically endangered Bethany Beach firefly (P. bethaniensis). Bicellonycha is found in Arizona and Mexico,[4] Pyrogaster is found principally in Brazil,[5] and Presbyolampis is found in the Caribbean.[6]

References

  1. ^ The Xerces Society (2023-05-18). Firefly Identification Course Module 3: Firefly Genera of the US and Canada. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Lloyd, James E.; Hillis, David M. (2007). "Phylogeny of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Implications for the evolution of light signals" (PDF). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 45 (1): 47. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.013.
  3. ^ Lloyd, James E. (1965). "Aggressive Mimicry in Photuris: Firefly Femmes Fatales". Science. 149 (3684): 653–654.
  4. ^ "Genus Bicellonycha". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  5. ^ "Genus Pyrogaster". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  6. ^ Kazantsev, Sergey V. (2006). "New firefly taxa from Hispaniola and Puerto Rico (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), with notes on biogeography". Russian Entomological Journal. 15 (4): 367–392.

Further reading

Stub icon

This firefly article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.