Summary ²

Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. This chemically produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow, green, or pale red, with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers.

SoCal Status ³

Known Species per The California Beetle Database .
Brachylampis blaisdelli
Ellychnia californica
Microphotus angustus
Nelsonphotus aridus
Paraphausis sp.2
Pterotus curticornis
Pterotus obscuripennis
Pyropyga nigricans

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Andy Deans, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/8018289@N08/3568835800
2. Adapted by BJ Stacey from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampyridae
3. (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

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