The Luciolinae are among the largest

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of fireflies (

Lampyridae The Lampyridae are a family (biology), family of Elateroidea, elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are bioluminescence, light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, ...

). They seem to be all "flashing" (as opposed to "continuous-glow") fireflies. They are a diverse lineage, spreading throughout the warm parts of

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

into

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

and south to the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n region.Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Lloyd, James E. & Hillis, David M. (2007): Phylogeny of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Implications for the evolution of light signals. ''

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of evolutionary biology and phylogenetics. The journal is edited by E.A. Zimmer. Indexing The journal is indexed in: *EMBiology *Journal Citation Reports *Scopus ...

'' 45(1): 33-49. (HTML abstract) Several tropical species, notably of the genus ''

Pteroptyx ''Pteroptyx'' is a genus of fireflies in the subfamily Luciolinae found in Southeast Asia. It has long been noted for the ability to perform synchronous flashing, though not all species synchronize. These synchronizing species have been found on ...

'', are of local economic importance. Their displays will self-synchronize until the entire local firefly population flashes in the same rhythm, creating a stunning spectacle that is popular with

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

s. The most well-known location to witness these displays is on the

Selangor River The Selangor River ( ms, Sungai Selangor) is a major river in Selangor, Malaysia. It runs from Kuala Kubu Bharu in the east and empties into the Straits of Malacca at Kuala Selangor in the west. Towns along the river basin * Peretak, Hulu Selan ...

at Kampong Kuantan,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. Two Japanese species of ''

Luciola ''Luciola'' is a genus of "flashing" fireflies (family Lampyridae), especially well known from Japan. They are often called "Japanese fireflies", but their members range farther into Asia and reach southern Europe (Italy, France, Spain, Portuga ...

'', collectively known as ''hotaru'' (蛍), are highly significant in

Japanese culture The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Historical overview The ance ...

and

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. They are symbols of the ''

hitodama In Japanese folklore, Hitodama (Japanese ; meaning "human soul") are balls of fire that mainly float in the middle of the night.広辞苑第五版 p.2255 「人魂」 They are said to be "souls of the dead that have separated from their bodies," ...

'' (人魂 or 人玉), the

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

s of the newly dead. See also the explanations at the article on the movie '' Hotaru no Haka'' ("Grave of the Fireflies") for a discussion of the cultural significance of the ''hotaru''.

Systematics

The group has recently been examined using molecular phylogenetics, using fairly comprehensive sampling.

Genera

*'' Abscondita'' Ballantyne, Lambkin & Fu, 2013 *'' Aquatica'' Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2010 *'' Aquilonia'' Ballantyne, 2009 *'' Asymmetricata'' Ballantyne, 2009 *''

Atyphella ''Atyphella'' is a genus of 'flashing' firefly (family Lampyridae) found in the Australasian region, particularly in the eastern and northern regions of Australia. The genus consists of 23 recognized species, 14 considered to be endemic to Aus ...

'' Olliff, 1890 *'' Australoluciola'' Ballantyne, 2013 *'' Colophotia'' Motschulsky, 1853 *'' Convexa'' Ballantyne, 2009 *'' Curtos'' Motschulsky, 1845 *'' Emarginata'' Ballantyne, 2019 *'' Emeia'' Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2012 *'' Gilvainsula'' Ballantyne, 2009 *'' Inflata'' Boontop, 2015 *'' Kuantana'' Ballantyne, 2019 *'' Lampyroidea'' Costa, 1875 *'' Lloydiella'' Ballantyne, 2009 *''

'' Laporte, 1833 *'' Magnalata'' Ballantyne, 2009 *'' Medeopteryx'' Ballantyne, 2013 *'' Missimia'' Ballantyne, 2009 * '' Nipponoluciola'' Ballantyne, 2022 *'' Pacifica'' Ballantyne, 2013 *'' Photuroluciola'' Pic, 1931 *''

'' Olivier, 1902 *'' Pygatyphella'' Ballantyne, 1968 *'' Pygoluciola'' Wittmer, 1939 *'' Pyrophanes'' Olivier, 1885 *''

Sclerotia A sclerotium (; (), is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until favor ...

'' Ballantyne, 2016 *''

Serratia ''Serratia'' is a genus of Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria of the family Yersiniaceae. According to the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing Nomenclature (LPSN), there are currently 19 species of ''Serratia'' that ar ...

'' Ballantyne, 2019 *'' Triangulara'' Pimpasalee, 2016 *'' Trisinuata'' Ballantyne, 2013

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3265858 Lampyridae