Firefly

For other things named "firefly", see firefly (disambiguation). \n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Fireflies
\nSEM image
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n : Eukaryota : Animalia : Metazoa : Arthropoda : Hexapoda : Insecta : Pterygota : Neoptera : Endopterygota : Coleoptera Polyphaga Elateriformia Cantharoidea : Lampyridae \n
Genera
\nCurtos\n Cyphonocerus\n Drilaster\n Ellychnia\n Hotaria\n Lampyris\n Lucidina\n Luciola - (Japanese fireflies)\n Photinus - (common eastern firefly)\n Photuris\n Pristolycus\n Pyractomena\n Pyrocoelia\n Stenocladius\n

\nFireflies (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. There are more than 2000 species of firefly, found in temperate and tropical environments around the world.

External link

• Facts about Lampyridae

References

TSN: 113836\n
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi \n