Biology:Photuris

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Short description: Genus of beetles

Photuris
Photuris lucicrescens.jpg
P. lucicrescens
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Lampyridae
Subfamily: Photurinae
Genus: Photuris
Dejean, 1833
Species

See text

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, kill, and eat the males. Their flashing bioluminescent signals seem to have evolved independently and eventually adapted to those of their prey, mainly unrelated Lampyrinae, such as Photinus (rover fireflies) or Pyractomena.[1]

Species

At least 64 species are currently recognized,[2] all restricted to temperate North America.[3] They mainly occur from the East Coast to Texas.[4] Species include:

  • Photuris aureolucens (nl)Barber, 1951
  • Photuris bethaniensisMcDermott, 1953
  • Photuris caerulescens (nl)Barber, 1951
  • Photuris cinctipennis (sv)Barber, 1951
  • Photuris congener (sv)LeConte, 1852
  • Photuris divisa (nl)LeConte, 1852
  • Photuris fairchildiBarber, 1951
  • Photuris flavicollis (nl)Fall, 1927
  • Photuris floridanaFall, 1927
  • Photuris frontalisLeConte, 1852
  • Photuris hebes (nl)Barber, 1951
  • Photuris lineaticollis Motschulsky, 1854
  • Photuris llyodiMcDermott, 1966
  • Photuris lucicrescensBarber, 1951
  • Photuris missouriensisMcDermott, 1962
  • Photuris mysticalampas Heckscher, 2013
  • Photuris pensylvanicaDe Geer, 1774
  • Photuris potomacaBarber, 1951
  • Photuris pyralominaBarber, 1951
  • Photuris quadrifulgensBarber, 1951
  • Photuris salinaBarber, 1951
  • Photuris hebes (ceb)Barber, 1951
  • Photuris versicolorFabricius, 1798
  • Photuris walldoxeyi Faust and Davis, 2019

References

  1. Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall; James E. Lloyd; David M. Hillis (2007). "Phylogeny of North American lightning bugs(Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Implications for the evolution of light signals". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45 (1): 33–49. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.013. PMID 17644427. 
  2. Lloyd, James E. (2003). "On research and entomological education VI: Firefly species and lists, old and now". The Florida Entomologist 86 (2): 99–113. doi:10.1653/0015-4040(2003)086[0099:ORAEEV2.0.CO;2]. 
  3. Arnett, R.H. Jr., ed (2002). American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 0849309549. 
  4. Sharp, Kelly. "Photuris versicolor". http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Photuris_versicolor/. 

Wikidata ☰ Q1382370 entry