Pyrophorus punctatissimus

Pyrophorus punctatissimus is a species of click beetle (family Elateridae).

Pyrophorus punctatissimus
Pyrophorus punctatissimus from Paraguay. Mounted specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Elateridae
Subfamily:
Agrypninae
Genus:
Pyrophorus
Species:
P. punctatissimus
Binomial name
Pyrophorus punctatissimus
Blanchard, 1843

Description

Pyrophorus punctatissimus can reach a length of about 30 millimetres (1.2 in). The basic coloration is dark brown. The antennae are serrate. The pronotum shows a long backward-pointing tooth.

These beetles are bioluminescent by means of two light organs at the posterior corners of the prothorax, and a broad area on the dorsal region of the abdomen, hidden by the wings and seen when flying. Their bioluminescence is similar to that of another group of beetles, the fireflies, although click beetles do not flash, but remain constantly glowing. Also the larvae and the pupae have light organs.

Distribution

This species can be found in Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Cuba.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.