Phausis reticulata
| Blue ghost firefly | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lampyridae |
| Genus: | Phausis |
| Species: | P. reticulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Phausis reticulata Say, 1825 | |
Phausis reticulata, commonly referred to as the "blue ghost" is a species of firefly found in the eastern and central United States. The species is common in the southern Appalachians, and can be seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as North Carolina's DuPont State Forest and Pisgah National Forest.[1]
Description
The males of this all-brown species have a short second antennomere (compared to the third) as well as large eyes.[2] It is an unusual firefly species in that the searching males emit a steady blue light.[3]
Unlike many fireflies found in the eastern and central United States, the luminescence of P. reticulata adults is characterized by a steady glow, instead of a species-specific pattern of flashes.
References
- ↑ Bugguide.net
- ↑ Fender, K.M. 1966. The genus Phausis in America north of Mexico (Coleoptera-Lampyridae). Northwest Science 40:83-95.
- ↑ Capinera, John L. (2008). Encyclopedia of entomology. vol 3. University of Florida. ISBN 1-4020-6360-1, ISBN 978-1-4020-6360-2.
- Fender, K.M. (1966). The genus Phausis in America north of Mexico (Coleoptera-Lampyridae). Northwest Science 40:83-95.