Photinus macdermotti, or Father Mac's firefly[2] or Mr. Mac,[3] is a species of firefly in the family Lampyridae.[2][4] It is found in North America.[4]
| Photinus macdermotti | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Photinus |
| Species: | P. macdermotti
|
| Binomial name | |
| Photinus macdermotti Lloyd, 1966
| |
Description
editP. macdermotti is a medium-sized beetle, with adults that measure about 10 mm (0.4 in) long. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a black, rectangular central mark bounded by red or pink. The wing covers, or elytra, are dark with well-defined, light-colored margins. The male has lanterns in segments 6 and 7 of its abdomen, and the female has only one lantern. It is nearly identical in appearance to Photinus consanguineus and Photinus greeni.[3]
Etymology
editPhotinus is from the Greek word for shining or bright.[5] The species honors Frank McDermott, a firefly expert from the 1900s.[3]
Life Cycle
editBeetles such as P. macdermotti go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Photinus fireflies spend the majority of their lives as larvae, which are bioluminescent and likely live below the soil surface, eating snails, worms, and other soft-bodied invertebrates.[1][3]
Behavior
editAdult male P. macdermotti fireflies fly 0.3–1.2 m (1–4 ft) off the ground and flash to attract the attention of females. Their flash pattern consists of two quick pulses of light, with each pulse approximately 0.25 seconds in length, with a period of 2 seconds of darkness before the next set of 2 pulses at 70 °F (21.1 °C). A female responds with an answering flash from a perch on low vegetation. The male and female communicate in this way until the male finds the female and they mate.[3]
Habitat
editThese fireflies can be found in both lower-elevation forests and higher-elevation river valleys and open forests.[3]
Range
editP. macdermotti is found in the eastern United States from Oklahoma to the west, Florida to the south, and New England to the north. It is also found in Ontario, Canada.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Walker, A. (2021). "Photinus macdermotti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T164046511A166771643. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T164046511A166771643.en. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Photinus macdermotti Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-4872-8.
- ^ a b "Photinus macdermotti Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "φωτεινός". Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 17 March 2023.
- Lloyd, James E. (1966). "Two cryptic new firefly species in the genus Photinus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin, vol. 20, no. 2, 43–46.
- Lloyd, James E. (1969). "Flashes, Behavior and Additional species of Nearctic Photinus Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin, vol. 23, no. 2, 29–41.
Further reading
edit- Arnett, R. H. Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). (21 June 2002). American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, Florida ISBN 978-0-8493-0954-0.
- Arnett, Ross H. (2000). American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico. CRC Press.
- Richard E. White. (1983). Peterson Field Guides: Beetles. Houghton Mifflin Company.