Photinus brimleyi, or sidewinder firefly,[2] is a species of firefly in the Photinus genus. It is found in the southeastern United States.[2][3][4][5]
| Photinus brimleyi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Photinus |
| Species: | P. brimleyi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Photinus brimleyi Green, 1956
| |
Description
editP. brimleyi is a medium-sized beetle, with adults measuring 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. Males and females have very different appearances. The males have dark wing covers, or elytra, with wide, blurred, light-colored side margins, and a pale yellow head shield, or pronotum, with a dark central mark shaped like a mushroom or a teardrop. Flat-lobed lanterns are visible on the male's abdomen. The larviform female resembles a colorful pink and yellow grub with no wings and very small elytra.[2]
Etymology
editPhotinus is from the Greek word for shining or bright.[6] The specific epithet is in honor of the naturalist Clement Samuel Brimley,[2] who mentioned the species in his 1938 Insects of North Carolina, although it was not named until John Wagener Green published Revision of the Nearctic species of "Photinus" in 1956.[7]
Life Cycle
editBeetles such as P. brimleyi 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. Adults appear in mid-summer, from late June to early August.[1][2]
Behavior
editAdult male P. brimleyi fireflies fly 0.3–2 m (1.0–6.6 ft) off the ground and flash to attract the attention of females, starting at sunset or about 15 minutes after sunset. Their flash pattern consists of a fast sideways arc that doubles back on itself. After flashing, the male flies 1–2 m (3–7 ft) forward, then flashes again, about 1.5 to 2.5 seconds later. A female responds with an answering flash from the entrance of her burrow or from a perch up to 15 cm (6 in) high on low vegetation. The male and female communicate in this way until the male finds the female and they mate.[2][8]
Habitat
editThis firefly can be seen in damp, mature forests, fields, lawns, and dry upland scrub forests.[2][1]
Range
editP. brimleyi has been recorded in the southeastern United States, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Walker, A. (2021). "Photinus brimleyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T164075844A166771768. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T164075844A166771768.en. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-4872-8.
- ^ "Photinus brimleyi Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
- ^ "Photinus brimleyi species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
- ^ "Photinus brimleyi". GBIF. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
- ^ "φωτεινός". Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 17 March 2023.
- ^ Green, J.W. (1956). "Revision of the Nearctic species of Photinus (Lampyridae: Coleoptera)" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Fourth. 28 (15): 561–613. ISSN 0068-547X.
- ^ Lloyd, J.E. (1966). "Studies on the Flash Communication System in Photinus Fireflies". Miscellaneous publications (University of Michigan. Museum of Zoology) (130): 1–95.