Family:
Lampyridae
Common Names:
What are fireflies?
Fireflies are actually beetles!
Fireflies are not really "flies" as entomologists know
them, but are beetles in the family Lampyridae. "Flies" have one pair of wings
(like houseflies) while all other winged insects have two pairs of wings, or, four wings
altogether. In general, when the common names of insects contain the word "fly"
as part of a one word common name such as firefly, dragonfly or scorpionfly, the insects
are not true flies and belongs to another order of insects. When the word "fly"
is hyphenated or follows the first word of an insect common name, it is most likely a true
fly (and by definition, has only two wings.)
Most known firefly species are bioluminescent as adults. However, all
known firefly larvae are bioluminescent, as are firefly eggs. Thus, the ability to glow as
an adult insect is not characteristic of this group of beetles. Also not all
bioluminescent beetles are fireflies. Related beetle families that have bioluminescent
members include some click beetles (family Elateridae), phengodid beetles (family
Phengodidae) and several other very small families.
|
 When an insect
(or any other organism, for that matter) is described by a scientist, it is given its own
scientific name. The name is composed of two parts, the first being genus and the second
being species. These names are composed of either Greek or Latin roots and commonly
describe aspects or features of the organism to which the names are given.
The following are examples of descriptive names given some
firefly genera:
Lamprocera - brilliant and wax-colored
Microphotus - small light
Macrolampis - big light
Microdiphot - small paired lights
Pyrogaster - fire stomach
Lampyris - Glowworm
Pyropyga - fire rump/butt |