Pyropyga minuta, or flower elf,[2] is a species of day-active firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is found in Central America and North America.[3][4]
| Pyropyga minuta | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Pyropyga |
| Species: | P. minuta
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| Binomial name | |
| Pyropyga minuta (LeConte, 1852)
| |
Description
edit
P. minuta is a tiny beetle, with adults measuring 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long. Its wing covers, or elytra, and its body are solid black. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a narrow, dark rectangular bar in the center, reaching from the top of the pronotum to the base. The bar flares wider towards the bottom and is bounded on the sides by red. Like the other fireflies in the Pyropyga genus, P. minuta does not have working lanterns on its abdomen.[2]
Etymology
editThe genus name Pyropyga is from Greek, combining "pyro", meaning "fire", and "pyga", meaning "rump" or "tail". The specific epithet, minuta, refers to the firefly's very small size.[2]
Life Cycle
editBeetles such as P. minuta go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Although the adults don't have lanterns and therefore do not flash, the larvae of P. minuta are bioluminescent, like all fireflies. Larvae are believed to be subterranean, living under the soil.[2]
Behavior
editP. minuta is a non-flashing firefly, active during the day rather than at night, and they are seen most often in June and July, although they have been found as early as April and as late as September. It is thought that these fireflies locate a mate using pheromones, unlike flashing fireflies, which locate a mate through flash signals at night.[2]
Habitat
editAdults are seen during the day in gardens, yards, open woodlands, fencerows, and open areas, often on leaves or on flowers.[2]
Range
editP. minuta lives in the southern United States, as far west as New Mexico and as far north as Kansas and North Carolina. They are also found in Mexico and as far south as Guatemala and Honduras.[1][2]
References
edit- ^ a b Walker, A.; Pérez Hernández, C. (2021). "Pyropyga minuta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T163979556A166771203. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T163979556A166771203.en. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Faust, Lynn Frierson (2017). Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-4872-8.
- ^ "Pyropyga minuta Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- ^ "Pyropyga minuta species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
Further reading
edit- Zaragoza-Caballero, Santiago (1993). "Descripción de especie nueva y registros nuevos del género de Pyropyga (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Lampyrinae: Photinini) de México". Anales del Instituto de Biología, Serie Zoología. 64: 139–151. ISSN 0076-7174.
- Green, John Wagener (1961). "Revision of the species of Pyropyga (Lampyridae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 15 (3): 65–74. JSTOR 3998941.