Photinus pyralis

Information about the Common Eastern Firefly:

The Common Eastern Firefly - also called the lightning bug and glowworm (in it's larval stage) is native to open fields, forests and pastures in the eastern part of North America. It is not a fly, but rather a member of the order Coleoptera, which are beetles. Males of the specues locate females by a series of bright flashes. The females then respond with a coded delay flash. The light organ of P. pryalis is composed of two layers; a layer of refractile cells on the dorsal side and a photic layer with light producing cells on the ventral side. The light organ (specifically the photogenic layer) is supplied with numerous tracheal branches, which are thought to provide the required oxygen for light production. Pupae of these beetles have different light organs than the adult. They do not have the characteristic tracheal end cells in that of the flashing adults, and whereas the adult emit bright flashes, pupae emit low intensity glowing. While the Photinus pyralis remains the most abundant of North America's fireflies, their numbers are reduced every year due to various environmental pressures such as habitat loss. The poster is printed on matte, museum-quality paper with Giclée printing quality: • Paper thickness: 10.3 mil • Paper weight: 5.6 oz/y² (192 g/m²) • Opacity: 94% Buy a Digital Download