''Pyrophorus'' (also known as fire beetles) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

click beetle Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family of beetles. Other names include elaters, snapping beetles, ...

(family

Elateridae Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family of beetles. Other names include elaters, snapping beetles, sp ...

). They are one of several genera in the tribe

Pyrophorini The Pyrophorini are a New World taxonomic tribe within the Elateridae (click beetle) subfamily Agrypninae.Kundrata R, Kubaczkova M, Prosvirov AS, Douglas HB, Fojtikova A, Costa C, Bousquet Y, Alonso-Zarazaga MA, Bouchard P (2019) World catalogue ...

, all of which are

bioluminescent Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some b ...

. Their bioluminescence is similar to that of another group of beetles, the

fireflies The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

, although click beetles do not flash, but remain constantly glowing (though they can control the intensity; for example, they become brighter when touched by a potential predator). They have two luminescent spots at the posterior corners of the

pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum ( dorsal), the prosternum ( ventral), and the propleuron ( lateral) o ...

, and another brighter

light organ A light organ is an electronic device which automatically converts an audio signal (such as music) into rhythmic light effects. In the 1970s, light organs were a popular lighting effect used in discotheques and dance parties; and also during that ...

on the most-anterior surface of the ventral abdomen. This light organ is even brighter and can only be seen when in flight. Bioluminescent click beetles are found throughout tropical, subtropical and temperate

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

. Species from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

, and

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

are now in different genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, such as '' Deilelater'' and ''

Ignelater ''Ignelater'' is a genus of click beetle (family Elateridae). They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a f ...

''.BugGuide
/ref> Adult ''Pyrophorus'' beetles feed on pollen and sometimes small insects, such as aphids or scale insects. Their larvae feed on various plant materials and invertebrates, including the larvae of other beetles. Eggs are luminous and are deposited either on or in the soil. Larvae, like eggs, are luminous. They grow slowly and pupate after an uncertain period of time, but perhaps several years after hatching. '' Pyrophorus nyctophanus'' larvae live in tunnels in the outer layers of termite mounds on the

cerrado The ''Cerrado'' (, ) is a vast ecoregion of tropical savanna in eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District. The core areas of the Cerrado biome are ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. During summertime they glow at night, attracting prey in the form of other insects.

List of species

* '' Pyrophorus angustus'' Blanchard, 1843 * '' Pyrophorus avunculus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus canaliculatus'' Eschscholtz, 1829 * '' Pyrophorus carinatus'' Eschscholtz, 1829 * '' Pyrophorus clarus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus cucujus'' Illiger, 1807 * '' Pyrophorus dulcifer'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus evexus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus expeditus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus foveolatus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus ignigenus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus indistinctus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus indulcatus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus ingens'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus jocundus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus limbatus'' Candèze, 1863 * '' Pyrophorus lucidus'' Candèze, 1863 * '' Pyrophorus lucifer'' Illiger, 1807 * '' Pyrophorus magnus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus melitus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus mellifluus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus mutatus'' Candèze, 1893 * '' Pyrophorus nyctophanus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus nigropunctatus'' Drapiez, 1820 * '' Pyrophorus noctilucus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Pyrophorus phosphorescens'' Laporte, 1840 * '' Pyrophorus pisticus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus plagiophthalmus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus punctatissimus'' Blanchard, 1843 * '' Pyrophorus pyropoecilus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus strabus'' Germar, 1841 * '' Pyrophorus stupendus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus tuberculifer'' Eschscholtz, 1829 * '' Pyrophorus validus'' Costa, 1972 * '' Pyrophorus veriloquus'' Costa, 1972

References

Elateridae in SYNOPSIS OF THE DESCRIBED COLEOPTERA OF THE WORLDBiolib

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pyrophorus (Beetle) Elateridae genera Bioluminescent insects