LAMPYRIDAE - LIGHTNING BEETLES AND FIREFLIES
Fireflies or Glow Worms as they are commonly known, are famous for thier bioluminescence - females using their glowing abdomens to attract males. Not all species are nocturnal, there exist diurnal species with no need to glow. Larvae are predacious though the diet of adults vary, some species being largely vegetarian. Light production is due to the enzyme luciferase acting on a compound called luciferin. Light production is extremely efficient with some 90% of the energy used being converted directly into light.
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
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Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Alberto Esquivel and Chris Elder and are used with their permission.
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FIGURE 1 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Alberto Esquivel undated - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 2 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Chris Elder December 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 3 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Alberto Esquivel November 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 4 - Unidentified sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith November 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).