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

Fireflies

SEM image
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Coleoptera
Family:Lampyridae
Genera
Curtos
Cyphonocerus
Drilaster
Ellychnia
Hotaria
Lampyris
Lucidina
Luciola - (Japanese fireflies)
Photinus - (common eastern firefly)
Photuris
Pristolycus
Pyractomena
Pyrocoelia
Stenocladius

Fireflies (family Lampyridae) 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

References


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