A Description and Examination of Fluorescence in Nine North American Firefly Species (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Abstract

Fluorescence across the family Lampyridae has been documented sporadically but not comprehensively in formal research. Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), best known for their bioluminescence, are also fluorescent. This fluorescence has been documented in several genera within the clade but is still an often overlooked aspect of firefly physiology in the common understanding of the species. To this end, the purpose of this study was to document and describe the fluorescence in nine species of North American fireflies, across three genera. Each species was photographed and a description of the fluorescent pattern was provided, as well as measurements of the specific spectral sensitivity of the fluorescent excitation and emission wavelengths. These data are intended to provide an identification guide of sorts to different firefly fluorescence, as well as documenting definitively its presence in several firefly genera.

Luminescent characteristics and mitochondrial COI barcodes of nine cohabitated Taiwanese fireflies

“…Another study revealed the bioluminescent evolution via recombinant luciferases and suggested the origin of beetle bioluminescence ( Oba et al, 2020 ). Accordingly, this study gives a detailed summary on the evolution of bioluminescence in Lampyridae based on the λ max of its luminescence spectrum ( Arnoldi, Neto & Viviani, 2010 ; Goh, Lee & Wang, 2022 ; He et al, 2021 ; Oba et al, 2020 ; Wilcox, 2021 ). Our studied species further revealed that the fireflies’ luminescence color was originally a green color in a Lampyridae ancestor, then red-shifted to a yellow-green in Luciolinae and is now an orange-yellow color in some derived species ( Fig.…”

“…The COI sequences of closely-related species and/or species with known λ max of luminescence were downloaded from GenBank based on previous studies ( Adamowicz, 2015 ; Arnoldi, Neto & Viviani, 2010 ; Cassata, 2020 ; Dong et al, 2021 ; Han et al, 2020 ; He et al, 2021 ; Hendrich et al, 2015 ; Jusoh et al, 2021 ; Jusoh et al, 2018 ; Jusoh et al, 2014 ; Kim et al, 2001 ; Li, Yang & Fu, 2022 ; Liu et al, 2017 ; Liu & Fu, 2020 ; Martin et al, 2017 ; Martin et al, 2015 ; Muraji, Arakaki & Tanizaki, 2012 ; Oba, Branham & Fukatsu, 2011 ; Oba et al, 2020 ; Osozawa et al, 2015 ; Roslin et al, 2022 ; Rulik et al, 2017 ; Stanger-Hall, Lloyd & Hillis, 2007 ; Usener & Cognato, 2005 ; Wilcox, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2018 ). Sequences were then aligned using the ClustalX program ( Thompson, Gibson & Higgins, 2002 ) with the default setting in MEGA X ( Kumar, Stecher & Tamura, 2016 ), followed by length trimming due to different amplicons.…”