For other uses, see Firefly (disambiguation).

Fireflies
SEM image of a firefly
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Lampyridae
Genera
Curtos Cyphonocerus Drilaster Ellychnia Hotaria Lampyris Lucidina Luciola - (Japanese fireflies) Photinus - (common eastern firefly) Photuris Pristolycus Pyractomena Pyrocoelia Stenocladius

Fireflies (family Lampyridae), also known as lightning bugs, are nocturnal, luminous beetles. This name comes from the fact that some species as adults emit flashes of light to attract mates, using special light-emitting organs in the abdomen. The chemical controlling the light emission, luciferase, is of scientific interest, and genes for producing it have been spliced into many different organisms.

The flashing and flying pattern that fireflies use is distinct for each species.

Many species of lampyrid beetles do not glow as adults, but they all glow as larvae. The larvae of fireflies are generally known as glowworms (but see Phengodidae). The function of glowing in the larvae is the subject of speculation, since it is clearly not for mating. It may be protective since the usual conformation is two eye-spot like glowing patches.

There are more than 2000 species of firefly, found in temperate and tropical environments around the world.

External link

• Facts about Lampyridae (http://www.donaldburger.com/fffacts.htm)

References

• TSN: 113836
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi

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