Photuris (genus)
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| Photuris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult Pennsylvania lightning bug (P. pennsylvanica) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Superfamily: | Elateroidea |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Subfamily: | Photurinae |
| Genus: | Photuris Dejean, 1833 |
| Species | |
|
Several, see text | |
Photuris is a genus of fireflies (beetles of the family Lampyridae) wherein are the femme fatale lightning bugs of North America. This common name refers to the fact that the females of these predatory beetles mimic the light signals of other firefly species' males, to attract, kill, and eat them. 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]
The Pennsylvania lightning bug (P. pennsylvanica) is the state insect of Pennsylvania.
Species include:
- Photuris cinctipennis
- Photuris lucicrescens
- Photuris pennsylvanica – Pennsylvania lightning bug
- Photuris quadrifulgens
- Photuris tremulans
- Photuris versicolor
References
Media related to Photuris at Wikimedia Commons
- ↑ 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.
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