Photurinae

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Photurinae
Adult Photuris lucicrescens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Endopterygota
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Superfamily: Elateroidea
Family: Lampyridae
Subfamily: Photurinae
Genera

Several, see text

Photurinae is a subfamily of fireflies (Lampyridae). They contain many of the well-known North American species, such as the Pennsylvania Firefly (Photuris pennsylvanica), state insect of Pennsylvania. 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.[1]

The genus Photuris is often called "femme fatale fireflies", due to the females' habit of imitating other "lightning bugs'" flashes, to attract, kill and eat them. Their prey includes such unrelated Lampyrinae like rover fireflies (Photinus) or Pyractomena.[1]

Genera include:

  • Bicellonycha Motschulsky, 1853
  • Photuris – femme fatale fireflies
  • Pyrogaster

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stanger-Hall et al. (2007)

References


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