Biology:Lucidota atra
| Lucidota atra | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Lucidota |
| Species: | L. atra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lucidota atra (G. Olivier, 1790)
| |
| Synonyms[2]: 27 | |
|
Lampyris atra G. Olivier, 1790 | |
Lucidota atra, the woodland lucy or black firefly,[3][4] is a diurnal species of firefly — a member of the Lampyridae family of beetles (order Coleoptera).[5][6][7]
Range
Lucidota atra are found in eastern North America. Their range extends west to Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas[3] and south to Mexico.[5]
Description
Adult body length is 9 to 12 mm (0.35 to 0.47 in).[8] This firefly has segmented, conspicuous, black antennae that are serrate,[9]: 84 with males having larger antennae.[10] The pronotum extends over the head and is usually red and yellow with a medial black stripe or patch,[8] but may be dark overall in some individuals.[11] The compound eyes are smaller than those of nocturnal species like Photinus pyralis.[12] The elytra are black or brown-black[8] and have granulated texture.[11] The light organ is greatly reduced and difficult to discern in the adult.[9]: 30 [10][13]
Behavior
This is a firefly that flies actively in daylight. Males fly low, about one to six feet (0.30 to 1.83 m) from the ground, through forests in midday, seeking females, which are often perched on low vegetation. Most are seen in the late morning to early afternoon.[10] Male Lucidota atra can identify female mating partners by sensing the female's pheromones with their antennae.[14] Lucidota atra express a characteristic set of odorant receptor genes in their antennae.[12] Both males and females are able to fly.[10]
Life cycle
Adults
Adults emerge in early to midsummer. In eastern Canada, larvae eclose beginning in late May, and adult numbers peak in late June to mid-July.[15] In the southern Appalachians, numbers peak in mid- to late June.[10]
Eggs, larvae, and pupae
Once the adults mate, the female lays eggs that hatch in about two to three weeks.[10] The flightless larvae live in moist environments, especially decaying wood, and prey on invertebrates with soft bodies, such as snails and slugs.[3] The advanced larvae or pupae overwinter, becoming adults in early to midsummer.[3][13]
Habitat
L. atra are found primarily in open forest or shady open areas.[10]
Light production
Adults have no working lanterns, although they often have pale terminal abdominal segments.[10][13] Larvae are bioluminescent.[3]
References
- ↑ Fallon, C. (2021). "Lucidota atra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T164015516A166771328.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164015516/166771328. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ↑ Olivier, Guillaume-Antoine (1790). "No. 28. Lampyre". Entomologie, ou historie naturelle des insectes, Coléoptères. 2. Paris: Baudouin. pp. 1-28. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40635457. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 NatureServe (31 January 2025). "Lucidota atra". Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.747308/Lucidota_atra.
- ↑ Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, glow-worms, and lightning bugs! Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada. A Wormsloe Foundation nature book. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-4872-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ITIS
- ↑ "Lucidota atra (G. Oliver, 1790) in GBIF Secretariat". 2021. doi:10.15468/39omei. https://www.gbif.org/species/1162734.
- ↑ Cotinis (17 July 2021). "Lucidota atra Species Information". https://bugguide.net/node/view/5361.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Firefly (Lucidota atra)". October 2018. https://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5512176.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Luk, Stephen P.L.; Marshall, Stephen A.; Branham, Marc A. (2011). "The Fireflies (Coleptera; Lampyridae) of Ontario". Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification (16). doi:10.3752/cjai.2011.16.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. University of Georgia Press. pp. 78-81. ISBN 978-0-8203-4872-8.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cresswell, Stephen (2020). "Lucidota atra Black Firefly". http://www.americaninsects.net/b/lucidota-atra.html.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Svistunov, Victor (2022). What's That Smell? Expression of Odorant Receptors in Lucidota atra, the Black Firefly (BSc thesis). Bucknell University. 614. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Lewis, Sara (2016). Silent Sparks, the Wondrous World of Fireflies. Princeton University Press. pp. 164-165. ISBN 978-0-691-16268-3.
- ↑ "Chemical Communication in Fireflies". Environmental Entomology 1 (2): 265–266. 1 April 1972. doi:10.1093/ee/1.2.265.
- ↑ "The Lampyridae (Coleoptera) of Atlantic Canada". Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society 8: 11–29. 2012. http://www.acadianes.ca/journal/papers/majka_11-13.pdf. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
External links
Data related to Lucidota atra at Wikispecies
Wikidata ☰ Q10787174 entry
 |  |
