Lucidota atra, the black firefly or woodland lucy,[3] is a diurnal species of firefly — a member of the Lampyridae family of beetles (order Coleoptera).[4][5][6]
| Lucidota atra | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Lucidota |
| Species: | L. atra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lucidota atra (G. Olivier, 1790)
| |
| Synonyms[2]: 27 | |
|
Lampyris atra G. Olivier, 1790 | |
Range
editLucidota atra are found in eastern North America. Their range extends west to Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas[3] and south to Mexico.[4]
Description
editAdult body length is 9 to 12 mm (0.35 to 0.47 in).[7] This firefly has segmented, conspicuous, black antennae that are serrate, with males having larger antennae.[8]: 84 [9] The pronotum extends over the head and is usually red and yellow with a medial black stripe or patch,[7] but may be dark overall in some individuals.[10] The compound eyes are smaller than those of nocturnal species like Photinus pyralis.[11] The elytra are black or brown-black[7] and have granulated texture.[10] The light organ is greatly reduced and difficult to discern in the adult.[8]: 30
Behavior
editThis is a firefly that flies actively in daylight. Males fly low, about 1 to 6 ft (0.3 to 1.8 m) from the ground, through forests in midday, seeking females, which are often perched on low vegetation. Most are seen in the late morning to early afternoon.[9] Male Lucidota atra can identify female mating partners by sensing the female's pheromones with their antennae.[12] Lucidota atra express a characteristic set of odorant receptor genes in their antennae.[11] Both males and females are able to fly.[9]
Life cycle
editAdults
editAdults emerge in early to midsummer. In eastern Canada, larvae eclose beginning in late May, and adult numbers peak in late June to mid-July.[13] In the southern Appalachians, numbers peak in mid- to late June.[9]
Eggs, larvae, and pupae
editOnce the adults mate, the female lays eggs that hatch in about 2 to 3 weeks.[9] The flightless larvae live in moist environments, especially decaying wood, and prey on invertebrates with soft bodies, such as snails and slugs.[3] The larvae or pupae are inactive in the winter, becoming adults in early to midsummer.[14]
Habitat
editL. atra are found primarily in open forest or shady open areas.[9]
Light production
editAdults have no working lanterns, although they often have pale terminal abdominal segments. Larvae are bioluminescent.[9]
References
edit- ^ Fallon, C. (2021). "Lucidota atra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T164015516A166771328. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T164015516A166771328.en. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ^ Olivier, Guillaume-Antoine (1790). "No. 28. Lampyre". Entomologie, ou historie naturelle des insectes, Coléoptères (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Baudouin. pp. 1–28. Retrieved 15 April 2024 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ a b c Fallon, C. (1 July 2022). "Lucidota atra: Black Firefly". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Lucidota atra (G. Olivier, 1790)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "Lucidota atra (G. Oliver, 1790) in GBIF Secretariat". GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. 2021. doi:10.15468/39omei. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ Cotinis (17 July 2021). "Lucidota atra Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ a b c "Firefly (Lucidota atra)". Invasive.org Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. October 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ a b Luk, Stephen P.L.; Marshall, Stephen A.; Branham, Marc A. (2011). "The Fireflies (Coleptera; Lampyridae) of Ontario". Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification (16). doi:10.3752/cjai.2011.16.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Cresswell, Stephen (2020). "Lucidota atra Black Firefly". American Insects. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022.
- ^ a b Svistunov, Victor (2022). What's That Smell? Expression of Odorant Receptors in Lucidota atra, the Black Firefly (BSc thesis). Bucknell University. 614. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Lloyd, James E. (1 April 1972). "Chemical Communication in Fireflies". Environmental Entomology. 1 (2): 265–266. doi:10.1093/ee/1.2.265.
- ^ Majka, Christopher G. (2012). "The Lampyridae (Coleoptera) of Atlantic Canada" (PDF). Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society. 8: 11–29. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Sara (2016). Silent Sparks, the Wondrous World of Fireflies. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-16268-3.
External links
edit
Media related to Lucidota atra at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Lucidota atra at Wikispecies
