Lucidota atra

Lucidota atra, the black firefly or woodland lucy,[1] is a diurnal species of firefly — a member of the Lampyridae family of beetles (order Coleoptera).[2][3][4]

Lucidota atra
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Lampyridae
Genus: Lucidota
Species:
L. atra
Binomial name
Lucidota atra
(G. Olivier, 1790)

Range

Lucidota atra are found in eastern North America, excluding Mexico. Their range extends west to Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.[1]

Description

Adult body length is up to 12 millimetres (0.47 in).[5] This firefly has segmented, conspicuous, black antennae that are serrate.[6]: 84  The pronotum extends over the head and is usually red and yellow with a medial black stripe or patch,[5] but may be dark overall in some individuals.[7] The compound eyes are smaller than those of nocturnal species like Photinus pyralis.[8] The elytra are black or brown-black[5] and have granulated texture.[7] The light organ is greatly reduced and difficult to discern in the adult.[6]: 30 

Behavior

This is a firefly that flies actively in daylight. Its flightless larvae live in moist environments, especially decaying wood, and prey on invertebrates with soft bodies, such as snails and slugs.[1] In eastern Canada, larvae eclose beginning in late May, and adult numbers peak in late June to mid-July.[9] Male Lucidota atra can identify female mating partners by sensing the female's pheromones with their antennae.[10] Lucidota atra express a characteristic set of odorant receptor genes in their antennae.[8]

References
  1. Fallon, C. (1 July 2022). "Lucidota atra: Black Firefly". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. "Lucidota atra Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). doi:10.5066/F7KH0KBK. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  3. "Lucidota atra (G. Oliver, 1790) in GBIF Secretariat". GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. 2021. doi:10.15468/39omei. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  4. "Firefly (Lucidota atra)". Invasive.org Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. October 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. Luk, Stephen P.L.; Marshall, Stephen A.; Branham, Marc A. (2011). "The Fireflies (Coleptera; Lampyridae) of Ontario". Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification (16). doi:10.3752/cjai.2011.16.
  6. Cresswell, Stephen (2020). "Lucidota atra Black Firefly". American Insects. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022.
  7. Svistunov, Victor (2022). What's That Smell? Expression of Odorant Receptors in Lucidota atra, the Black Firefly (BSc thesis). Bucknell University. 614. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  8. Majka, Christopher G. (2012). "The Lampyridae (Coleoptera) of Atlantic Canada" (PDF). Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society. 8: 11–29. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  9. Lloyd, James E. (1 April 1972). "Chemical Communication in Fireflies". Environmental Entomology. 1 (2): 265–266. doi:10.1093/ee/1.2.265.

Further reading
  • Lobl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2007). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 4: Elateroidea - Derodontoidea - Bostrichoidea - Lymexyloidea - Cleroidea - Cucujoidea. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-8788757675.


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