Encyclopedia of Arthropods: Yunnan Window Fireflies - I am the Coolest Firefly in this GAI

Today, we're going to introduce you toTribloids·Yunnan Window Fireflies

Yunnan Window Fireflies

Pyrocoelia pygidialis

Tribloids, Insect class, Coleopteran order, Family Lampyridae, Genus Window Fireflies, First described by Maurice Pic in 1926, mainly distributed in Dianzhong and Dianxi areas of Yunnan. Photo taken in Kunming.

The most obvious feature of Yunnan Window Fireflies female is that the body is orange-red, the female is significantly larger than the male, the female's forehead is brown, the antennae, upper lip, mouthparts, and feet are black, the female's antennae are approximately the same length as the pronotum, serrated, the male's pronotum is approximately triangular, it's black, serrated antennae is not only longer than the female, but also larger curvature, looks very textured, quite like 'Big Demon'

Yunnan Window Fireflies eggs, larvae, pupae and females emit a faint yellowish light, larvae mainly feed on snails and other soft-bodied animals, while males will exhibit reflex bleeding when stimulated.

Yunnan Window Fireflies are diurnal fireflies, chemical signals (pheromones) are the main identification way for males and females during courtship. For females, it will strive to produce as many 'babies' to reproduce. Most miraculously, these egg 'babies' emit a yellowish light at night.

Yunnan Window Fireflies' larval period is the longest, can reach one year, however, once it becomes an adult, male adults may only live for one or two weeks, and female adults at most one month.

Fireflies are well-known for their bioluminescence. Narrowly speaking, fireflies refer to insects of the Lampyridae family, while broadly speaking, fireflies include insects of the Lampyridae and Photuris families. Fireflies mainly live in tropical and subtropical regions, widely distributed in all continents except Antarctica. Window Fireflies belong to the Asian species, there are 60 species, of which one-third live in China, domestic firefly research started late, research materials are also less.