Biology:Photinus indictus
| Photinus indictus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photinus indictus photographed in Wheatley, Ontario, Canada | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Photinus |
| Species: | P. indictus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Photinus indictus LeConte, 1881
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| Synonyms | |
|
Pyropyga indicta LeConte, 1881 | |
Photinus indictus, or silent firefly,[2] 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.[3][4][5]
Description
P. indictus is a small to medium-sized beetle, with adults approximately 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a thick, black, rectangular central mark with red or pink on both sides. The wing covers, or elytra, are dark with wide, well-defined, light-colored margins. Unlike fireflies that produce light as adults, P. indictus has no lanterns on its abdomen. The female is often slightly larger than the male.[2]
Etymology
Photinus is from the Greek word for shining or bright.[6] The specific epithet, "indictus", is Latin meaning "not said" or "unspoken", referring to the fact that this species does not flash as an adult.[7]
Life Cycle
Beetles such as P. indictus go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Photinus fireflies spend the majority of their lives as larvae, which are bioluminescent and likely live below the soil surface, eating snails, worms, and other soft-bodied invertebrates.[1][2]
Behavior
Adult P. indictus fireflies are believed to attract mates through airborne pheromones.[8]
Habitat
They can be found in meadows, pastures, and fields.[2]
Range
P. indictus is found in eastern North America, most commonly in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Walker, A. (2021). "Photinus indictus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T164077202A166771843.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164077202/166771843. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-4872-8.
- ↑ "Photinus indictus Report". https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=722512.
- ↑ "Photinus indictus". https://www.gbif.org/species/1162760.
- ↑ "Photinus indictus species Information". https://bugguide.net/node/view/168903.
- ↑ "φωτεινός" (in en). 17 March 2023. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%86%CF%89%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%8C%CF%82.
- ↑ "indictus" (in en). 9 April 2022. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/indictus#:~:text=indictus%20(feminine%20indicta%2C%20neuter%20indictum,fixed%2C%20named%2C%20having%20been%20appointed.
- ↑ Lloyd, J.E. (1972). "Chemical communication in fireflies". Environmental Entomology 1 (2): 265-266. doi:10.1093/ee/1.2.265.
Further reading
- Green, J. W. (1956). "Revision of the Nearctic species of Photinus (Lampyridae: Coleoptera)". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Fourth Series 28: 561–613. ISSN 0068-547X. https://fireflyersinternational.net/s/Green-1956.pdf.
- Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 4: Elateroidea - Derodontoidea - Bostrichoidea - Lymexyloidea - Cleroidea - Cucujoidea. Apollo Books. 2007. ISBN 978-87-88757-67-5.
Wikidata ☰ Q14928052 entry
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