Specimen image via iDigBio · BY-NC
Photurinae
Sign in to saveThe Photurinae are a subfamily of the Lampyridae (fireflies). They are among the flashing (as opposed to continuously glowing) fireflies known as "lightning bugs" in North America. The anterior ends of the elytra sit higher than the pronotum, giving the Photurinae a characteristic "hunched" posture.
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 14
- With media
- 3
- Family
- Lampyridae
- Collections
- UMNH, DMNS
- Recorded in
- United States, Brazil, Trinidad And Tobago
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Lampyridae
- Image
- Photuris lucicrescens.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- taxon name
- Photurinae
- taxon rank
- subfamily
- Commons category
- Photurinae
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
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Encyclopedic overview
2 sectionsContents
- References
- Further reading
The Photurinae are a subfamily of the Lampyridae (fireflies). They are among the flashing (as opposed to continuously glowing) fireflies known as "lightning bugs" in North America. The anterior ends of the elytra sit higher than the pronotum, giving the Photurinae a characteristic "hunched" posture.
The Photurinae are sister to the large subfamily Lampyrinae, which contain species that also produce flashing for sexual signaling. It is yet unknown whether the ability to flash in these subfamilies is a homology or a product of convergent evolution.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Photurinae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.