[NatureNS] Fireflys

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Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:47:16 -0300
From: Ronald Arsenault <rongarsenault@gmail.com>
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Hello Chris,

I understand that Photuris larvae are also bioluminescent.  Is this correct?

I have a picture of a firefly taken in Moncton in 2009.  If you are
interested, I can send you a copy.

All the best,

Ron

On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 1:37 PM, Christopher Majka
<c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>wrote:

> Hi Bernard,
>
> On 30-Jul-11, at 12:47 PM, Bernard Burke wrote:
>
>  Here are a couple of firefly photos I took in Cape Breton last weekend.
> There appeared to be a decent number of them, but I seem to recall them
> being more plentiful in the same location in my younger years. It may have
> been discussed in the past with this group, but I'm curious as to whether
> there are more than one variety in Nova Scotia.
>
>
> http://bernieb.smugmug.com/Nature/insectsspiders-etc/797514_MpFcT#1407605332_kgk87ZX-X2-LB
>
>
> http://bernieb.smugmug.com/Nature/insectsspiders-etc/797514_MpFcT#1407605766_hkTSvb8-X2-LB
>
>
> As it so happens, I've just completed a paper on the fireflies (family
> Lampyridae) of Atlantic Canada. It's not yet been published, but I hope will
> be out in the fall. I'll notify folks when it is available.
>
> There are 12 species (not varieties, which means something different in the
> biological world) of Lampyridae found in the region, 11 of which are present
> in Nova Scotia. These fall into three groups:
>
> 1. "dark" fireflies: these are species which as adults are not
> bioluminescent (although their larvae are). It includes four species in the
> genera* Ellychnia, Lucidota*, and *Pyropyga*;
>
> 2. "fireflies": these are beetles whose adults emit neurologically precise
> flashing patterns while in flight (in other words what people people
> conventionally term "fireflies). There are seven species in the region in
> the genera *Pyractomena, Photinus*, and *Photuris*.
>
> 3. "glowworms": these are species which are weakly-bioluminescent and do
> not emit neurologically precise flashing patterns, but simply "glow". There
> is one introduced European species, *Phosphaenus hemipterus* (Goeze) (the
> lesser glowworm) found in Halifax and Yarmouth (and elsewhere in North
> America only in Montreal, and Fergus, Ontario). In 2009 I published a paper
> on this species in North America together with my student Scott McIvor:
>
>
> http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/279/the-european-lesser-glow-worm-phosphaenus-hemipterus-goeze-in-north-america-coleoptera-lampyridae-
>
> It's an interesting read about a very unusual beetle, with lots of colour
> photos from Halifax! :->
>
> In any event, the species pictured in your photos is *Photuris fairchildi*Barber and it comes with an interesting story and Nova Scotia
> connection.  It was described by Herbert Spencer Barber in 1951 on the basis
> of a series of ten specimens collected by Graham Fairchild (and named in his
> honour), an American entomologist and grandson of Alexander Graham Bell, on
> 14 July 1927 in Beinn Bhreagh (the Bell family estate) in Baddeck on Cape
> Breton Island in Nova Scotia.
>
> Until recently *Photuris fairchildi* was only known from Nova Scotia,
> however, my paper will establish that it is found throughout the Maritime
> Provinces, and is the only species of *Photuris* in the region. *Photuris*fireflies are an ultra-fascinating and complex group with a large repertoire
> of situation-specific flashing patterns which allow them to locate potential
> mates and communicate things such as "caught in spider web", "walking
> through grass", "grasped by wolf spider", etc. Females are voracious
> predators of the males of other bioluminescent fireflies which they lure to
> their fate by mimicking the response signals of females of other species of
> fireflies.
>
> They are also taxonomically extremely complex; 22 species have been
> described in North America and a further ~28 species that await description.
> Some species cannot be differentiated except through their flashing
> patterns.
>
> Bernard: can you tell me the date and location where you photographed this
> specimen? Thanks!
>
> All the best!
>
> Chris
>
>
> Christopher Majka  <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia,
> Canada
>
> * Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum |
> http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm
> * Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/
> * Subject Editor: ZooKeys |
> http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index
> * Review Editor: Zootaxa |
> http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/taxa/Coleoptera.html
> * Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society |
> http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html
> * Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera |
> http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/index.html
> * Editor: Bugguide, Coleoptera http://bugguide.net
>
> *Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old
> war-horse at the sound of a trumpet.* - Charles Darwin
>
>


-- 
Ronald G. Arsenault
Memramcook, N.B.

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Hello Chris,<div><br></div><div>I understand that Photuris larvae are also =
bioluminescent. =A0Is this correct?</div><div><br></div><div>I have a pictu=
re of a firefly taken in Moncton in 2009. =A0If you are interested, I can s=
end you a copy.</div>
<div><br></div><div>All the best,</div><div><br></div><div>Ron<br><br><div =
class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 1:37 PM, Christopher Majka <s=
pan dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.s=
ympatico.ca</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"><div style=3D"word-wrap:break-word">Hi Bern=
ard,<div><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br><div><div>On 30-Jul-11, at 1=
2:47 PM, Bernard Burke wrote:</div>
<br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>=A0Here are a couple of firefly photos I=
 took in Cape Breton last weekend. There appeared to be a decent number of =
them, but I seem to recall them being more plentiful in the same location i=
n my younger years. It may have been discussed in the past with this group,=
 but I&#39;m curious as to whether there are more than one variety in Nova =
Scotia.</div>
<div>=A0</div><div><a href=3D"http://bernieb.smugmug.com/Nature/insectsspid=
ers-etc/797514_MpFcT#1407605332_kgk87ZX-X2-LB" target=3D"_blank">http://ber=
nieb.smugmug.com/Nature/insectsspiders-etc/797514_MpFcT#1407605332_kgk87ZX-=
X2-LB</a></div>
<div>=A0</div><div><a href=3D"http://bernieb.smugmug.com/Nature/insectsspid=
ers-etc/797514_MpFcT#1407605766_hkTSvb8-X2-LB" target=3D"_blank">http://ber=
nieb.smugmug.com/Nature/insectsspiders-etc/797514_MpFcT#1407605766_hkTSvb8-=
X2-LB</a></div>
</blockquote><br></div></div></div><div>As it so happens, I&#39;ve just com=
pleted a paper on the fireflies (family Lampyridae) of Atlantic Canada. It&=
#39;s not yet been published, but I hope will be out in the fall. I&#39;ll =
notify folks when it is available.</div>
<div><br></div><div>There are 12 species (not varieties, which means someth=
ing different in the biological world) of Lampyridae found in the region, 1=
1 of which are present in Nova Scotia. These fall into three groups:</div>
<div><br></div><div>1. &quot;dark&quot; fireflies: these are species which =
as adults are not bioluminescent (although their larvae are). It includes f=
our species in the genera<i> Ellychnia, Lucidota</i>, and <i>Pyropyga</i>;<=
/div>
<div><br></div><div>2. &quot;fireflies&quot;: these are beetles whose adult=
s emit neurologically precise flashing patterns while in flight (in other w=
ords what people people conventionally term &quot;fireflies). There are sev=
en species in the region in the genera <i>Pyractomena, Photinus</i>, and <i=
>Photuris</i>.</div>
<div><br></div><div>3. &quot;glowworms&quot;: these are species which are w=
eakly-bioluminescent and do not=A0emit neurologically precise flashing patt=
erns, but simply &quot;glow&quot;. There is one introduced European species=
,=A0<i>Phosphaenus hemipterus</i>
(Goeze)=A0(the lesser glowworm) found in Halifax and Yarmouth (and elsewher=
e in North America only in Montreal, and Fergus, Ontario). In 2009 I publis=
hed a paper on this species in North America together with my student Scott=
 McIvor:</div>
<div><br></div><div><span style=3D"white-space:pre-wrap"><a href=3D"http://=
www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/279/the-european-lesser-glow-worm-=
phosphaenus-hemipterus-goeze-in-north-america-coleoptera-lampyridae-" targe=
t=3D"_blank">http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/279/the-europe=
an-lesser-glow-worm-phosphaenus-hemipterus-goeze-in-north-america-coleopter=
a-lampyridae-</a></span></div>
<div><span style=3D"white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style=
=3D"white-space:pre-wrap">I</span>t&#39;s an interesting read about a very =
unusual beetle, with lots of colour photos from Halifax! :-&gt;</div><div><=
br>
</div><div>In any event, the species pictured in your photos is=A0<i>Photur=
is fairchildi</i> Barber and it comes with an interesting story and Nova Sc=
otia connection.=A0=A0It was described by Herbert Spencer Barber in 1951 on=
 the basis of a series of ten specimens collected by Graham Fairchild (and =
named in his honour), an
American entomologist and grandson of Alexander Graham Bell, on 14 July 192=
7 in Beinn Bhreagh (the Bell family estate) in Baddeck on Cape Breton Islan=
d in Nova Scotia.</div><div><br></div><div>Until recently=A0<i>Photuris fai=
rchildi</i>=A0was only known from Nova Scotia, however, my paper will estab=
lish that it is found throughout the Maritime Provinces, and is the only sp=
ecies of <i>Photuris</i> in the region. <i>Photuris</i> fireflies are an ul=
tra-fascinating and complex group with a large repertoire of situation-spec=
ific flashing patterns which allow them to locate potential mates and commu=
nicate things such as &quot;caught in spider web&quot;, &quot;walking throu=
gh grass&quot;, &quot;grasped by wolf spider&quot;, etc. Females are voraci=
ous predators of the males of other=A0bioluminescent fireflies which they l=
ure to their fate by mimicking the response signals of females of other spe=
cies of fireflies.=A0</div>
<div><br></div><div>They are also taxonomically extremely complex; 22 speci=
es have been described in North America and a further ~28 species that awai=
t description. Some species cannot be differentiated except through their f=
lashing patterns.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Bernard: can you tell me the date and location where yo=
u photographed this specimen? Thanks!</div><div><br></div><div>All the best=
!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div></div><br><br><div> <span style=3D"bo=
rder-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&=
#39;;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacin=
g:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:=
none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium"><div style=3D"wo=
rd-wrap:break-word">
<span style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:&#39=
;Times New Roman&#39;;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:nor=
mal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform=
:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium"><div style=3D"w=
ord-wrap:break-word">
<span style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:&#39=
;Times New Roman&#39;;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:nor=
mal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform=
:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium"><div style=3D"w=
ord-wrap:break-word">
<span style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:&#39=
;Times New Roman&#39;;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:nor=
mal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform=
:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium"><div style=3D"w=
ord-wrap:break-word">
<span style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:&#39=
;Times New Roman&#39;;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:nor=
mal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform=
:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium"><div style=3D"w=
ord-wrap:break-word">
<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"fon=
t-size:12px">Christopher Majka =A0&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatic=
o.ca" target=3D"_blank">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>&gt; |=A0Halifax, Nova S=
cotia, Canada</span></font></div>
<div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px"><br></span></font></di=
v><div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Research Associate=
: Nova Scotia Museum |=A0<a href=3D"http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-as=
fr.htm" target=3D"_blank">http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm</a>=
</span></font></div>
<div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Review Editor: The C=
oleopterists Bulletin |=A0<a href=3D"http://www.coleopsoc.org/" target=3D"_=
blank">http://www.coleopsoc.org/</a></span></font></div><div><font size=3D"=
3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Subject Editor: ZooKeys |=A0<a href=3D"=
http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index" target=3D"_blank"=
>http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index</a></span></font>=
</div>
<div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Review Editor: Zoota=
xa |=A0<a href=3D"http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/taxa/Coleoptera.html" targ=
et=3D"_blank">http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/taxa/Coleoptera.html</a></span=
></font></div>
<div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Associate Editor: Jo=
urnal of the Acadian Entomological Society |=A0<a href=3D"http://www.acadia=
nes.org/journal.html" target=3D"_blank">http://www.acadianes.org/journal.ht=
ml</a></span></font></div>
<div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Editor: Atlantic Can=
ada Coleoptera |=A0<a href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF=
/index.html" target=3D"_blank">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PD=
F/index.html</a></span></font></div>
<div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px">* Editor: Bugguide, Co=
leoptera=A0<a href=3D"http://bugguide.net" target=3D"_blank">http://bugguid=
e.net</a></span></font></div><div><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size=
:12px"><br>
</span></font></div><div><i><font size=3D"3"><span style=3D"font-size:12px"=
>Whenever I hear of the capture of rare=A0beetles, I feel like an old war-h=
orse at the sound of a trumpet.</span></font></i><span><font size=3D"3"><sp=
an style=3D"font-size:12px">=A0</span></font></span><font size=3D"3"><span =
style=3D"font-size:12px">- Charles=A0Darwin</span></font></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><=
/span></div></span></div></span> </div><br></div></blockquote></div><br><br=
 clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>Ronald G. Arsenault<br>Memramcook, N.B.<br>
</div>

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