Phengodidae

Phengodes orbignyi

The spring Fireflies ( Phengodidae ) are a family of beetles ( Coleoptera).

Features

The spring fireflies are closely related to the fireflies and how these have usually also light organs. The females are wingless and larva- like shape, their light organs are arranged as those of the larvae as lateral rows on the abdomen and send yellow or green light. At the head sometimes is also a light organ that emits a rather unusual light color with red light.

The males are smaller than females, winged, and have feathered sensor, hence the German name of the family. You are able to actively seek out the females, of which they are attracted by pheromones and light signals. Often fly the short-lived males, which presumably take no food to artificial light sources. In some species, the males also possess light organs.

Way of life

The larvae live in leaf litter and feed on prey on various arthropods, thereby apparently preferred by millipedes.

System

There are approximately 170 species from this family, most of them in tropical America, the range extends from southern Canada to Chile. In Africa, occur several ways.

Genera

• Acladocera
• Adendrocera
• Brasilocerus
• Cenophengus
• Cephalophrixothorax
• Decamastinocerus
• Distremocephalus
• Eurymastinocerus
• Euryognathus
• Euryopa
• Howdenia
• Mastinocerus
• Mastinomorphus
• Mastinowittmerus
• Microphengodes
• Neophengus
• Nephromma
• Oxymastinocerus
• Paramastinocerus
• Paraptorthodius
• Penicillophorus
• Phengodes
• Phrixothrix
• Pseudomastinocerus
• Pseudophengodes
• Ptorthodiellus
• Ptorthodius
• Spangleriella
• Steneuryopa
• Stenocladius
• Stenophrixothrix
• Taximastinocerus
• Zarhipis