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They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production of light, mainly during twilight, to attract mates. [5] The type species is Lampyris noctiluca , the common glow-worm of Europe.
Adult bugs feed on nectar, pollen, and other smaller insects, while their larvae feed on snails and other small ground creatures. Summary of 7 Bioluminescent bugs That Light Up
Many Pennsylvanians know these insects by the name "lightning bugs" and may have confused "firefly" with "black fly" when that state was plagued by them in 1988 [citation needed]. This might be why that year the legislature again confirmed the Pennsylvania firefly's official status and specified it by scientific name .
What do you call them: firefly or lightning bugs? It turns out they are the same insect! We explain the regional difference in how they are named in America.
They are among the "flashing" (as opposed to continuous-glow) fireflies known as "lightning bugs" in North America, although they are not too distantly related to the flashing fireflies in the Lampyrinae; as the most basal lineages of that subfamily do not produce light at all, the Photurinae's flashing signals seem to be convergent evolution. [2]
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Photinus pyralis, also known by the common names the common eastern firefly [3] or big dipper firefly, [4] and sometimes called a "lightning bug", [5] is a species of flying beetle. An organ on its abdomen is responsible for its light production. [ 6 ]
Photuris is a genus of fireflies (beetles of the family Lampyridae). 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 ...