Firefly
- For other things named "firefly", see firefly (disambiguation).
Curtos
Cyphonocerus
Drilaster
Ellychnia
Hotaria
Lampyris
Lucidina
Luciola - (Japanese fireflies)
Photinus - (common eastern firefly)
Photuris
Pristolycus
Pyractomena
Pyrocoelia
Stenocladius
</table>
Fireflies (
family Lampyridae), also known as
Lightning Bugs, are nocturnal, luminous
beetles. They use special light-emitting organs to communicate, primarily as part of mating. The light-emitting chemical,
luciferase, is of scientific interest, and genes for producing it have been spliced into bacteria.
The larvae of fireflies also glow, and are generally known as
glowworms (but see
Phengodidae). The function of glowing in the larvae is the subject of speculation, since it is clearly not for mating. It may be protective since the usual conformation is two eye-spot like glowing patches. Many species of lampyrid beetles do not glow as adults, but do glow as larvae.
There are more than 2000 species of firefly, found in temperate and tropical environments around the world.
