The Occurrence of Pteroptyx tener Olivier Firefly (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) in Malaysia

Abstract

A field survey of synchronized fireflies (Pteroptyx tener Olivier) was conducted in Kuala Sepetang, Perak. It involved sampling efforts for six months, from November 2021 to April 2022. A total of 10 sampling stations were selected along 5.63 km from the upstream to the downstream of the river. A sweep net was used for sampling at each station, and the net was swept for two minutes. Such sampling was replicated twice at each station. At the same time, collecting vegetation samples was done by taking the leaves, flowers, fruits, tree trunks, and roots. For species identification, collected specimens were taken to the Laboratory of the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). From this survey, a total of 111,622 individuals were recorded. This species has been observed on Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, and Sonneratia caseolaris. The distribution and abundance of fireflies in the sampling area were undocumented prior to this study. This study is being conducted to understand Pteroptys tener’s distribution in Malaysia better and to add knowledge about the undocumented area of Kuala Sepetang. By adding an undocumented location for this species, this study can contribute to and expand the knowledge of the distribution and occurrence of fireflies in Malaysia, particularly in Perak.