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Family Identification - Lampyridae
ENY 3005 Family Identification
Coleoptera: Lampyridae
Pronunciation: lamb-PIER-ri-dee
Common name: lightningbugs, fireflies
Identifying characteristics for the family Lampyridae include:
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First abdominal sternite entire, not divided by hind coxae (suborder
Polyphaga).
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Elongate, softbodied beetles, 4.5 - 20 mm in length.
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Head concealed from above by flattened pronotum (cf Cantharidae).
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Last 2 or 3 abdominal sterna often luminous.
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Tarsi 5-5-5.
Additional information:
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Adults well known for their flashing, an important part of their courtship
and mating.
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Larvae are carnivorous, feeding on other insects, snails, and slugs.
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There are 23 genera and about 200 species of Lampyridae in North America.
References:
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Pages 162-163 in D. J. Borror and R. E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the
Insects. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
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Pages 188-190 in R. E. White. 1983. A Field Guide to Beetles of North America.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 368 p.
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Page 432 in D. J. Borror, C. A. Tripplehorn, and N. F. Johnson. An Introduction
to the Study of Insects, 6th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing.
875 p.
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Page 206 in R. G. Bland and H. E. Jaques. 1978. How to Know the Insects,
3rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Co. 409 p.
Links to other Coleoptera taxa: Cicindelidae,
Carabidae, Dytiscidae,
Gyrinidae, Hydrophilidae,
Silphidae, Staphylinidae,
Cantharidae, Lampyridae,
Elateridae, Buprestidae,
Coccinellidae, Meloidae,
Tenebrionidae, Passalidae,
Scarabaeidae, Cerambycidae,
Chrysomelidae, Curculionidae.
Links to other web sites
Return to ENY 3005 Index to Orders
A special thank you to Jim Lloyd for providing these two beautiful
images.
Prepared by John L. Foltz.
Last update: 6 May 1998.
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