Fireflies, also known as glow worms and lightning bugs, are beetles in the Lampyridae family. They undergo complete metamorphosis from egg to larva to pupa to adult. The last abdominal segment of the firefly lights up in a bright yellow-green color for communication. Males use wings to fly while females have short wings and do not fly. Fireflies deposit eggs in soil that hatch into larvae, which burrow underground and hibernate before pupating and emerging as adults. Researchers now harvest fireflies for their luciferase compound, which is inserted into other plants' DNA.

1. FIRE FLY
By
H.M.Harish Menan
2021039038

2. Common Name : Firefly
Glow worms
Lightning bugs
Scientific Name : Photinus pyralis
Family : Lampyridae
Suborder : Polyphaga
Order : Coleoptera
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3. Like all beetles, it also have prognathous head.
The adult females have compound eyes, unlike the
simple eyes of larvae.
Though the females have much smaller, often
highly regressed eyes than those of their males.
Filiform type of antennae is present.
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4. The larvae of most species are predators that
they have grooved mandibles.
Some adults like European Glow-worm have no
mouth.
The pronotum is the top sclerite of prothorax and
the center of the pronotum is called as Dorsum.
Spiracles
The first abdominal spiracle is enlarged
and bears on occlusor muscle with a filter
apparatus which restrict the airflow. 4

5. The last segment of the abdomen is the section that
lights up, flashing bright yellow green colour.
Only male uses the wings for flying; females usually
have short wings and do not fly.
Metamorphosis
Like other beetles, it also undergoes
complete metamorphosis.
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6. 6
Egg
Larva
Pupa
Adult

7. The mated female will deposits about 100 spherical eggs,
singly or in clusters in the soil surface.
The eggs hatch 3 to 4 weeks later.
Most fireflies hibernate as larvae by burrowing or under
the bark of the trees.
The larval stage lasts from several weeks up to, in certain
species, 2 or more years.
The larva pupate for 1 to 2 weeks and emerge as an adult.
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8. Fireflies have recently been harvested by the biochemical industry for its important compound,
Luciferase.
Researchers discovered a technique to slice the gene containing luciferase into the DNA of other
plant.
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9. THANK YOU