Pyrophorus (beetle) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pyrophorus (beetle) |
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| Pyrophorus noctilucus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Elateridae |
| Subfamily: | Agrypninae |
| Tribe: | Pyrophorini |
| Genus: | Pyrophorus Illiger, 1809 |
| Species | |
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Pyrophorus (also known as fire beetles) is a type of click beetle. These amazing beetles are special because they can glow in the dark! They are part of a group called Pyrophorini, and all beetles in this group can make their own light.
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About Fire Beetles
Fire beetles are a kind of click beetle. They are famous for their amazing ability to glow, which is called bioluminescence. This means they can produce light from their bodies, just like fireflies. But fire beetles are a bit different from fireflies. Fireflies usually flash their lights on and off, but fire beetles glow constantly. They can even make their light brighter if something touches them, like a predator!
How They Glow
These beetles have special light-producing organs called photophores. They have two glowing spots on their back, near their head. These spots are on the corners of their pronotum, which is the part of their body just behind the head. They also have another, even brighter light organ on their belly. You can only see this super bright light when the beetle is flying!
Where They Live
You can find these glowing click beetles in warm places. They live across tropical, subtropical, and temperate parts of America. Some beetles that used to be called Pyrophorus from places like Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Cuba are now in different groups. These new groups are called Deilelater and Ignelater.
What They Eat
Adult fire beetles like to eat pollen from plants. Sometimes, they also munch on small insects like aphids or scale insects. Their babies, called larvae, eat different things. They feed on various plant materials and even other small bugs, including the larvae of other beetles.
Life Cycle
The life cycle of a fire beetle starts with eggs. These eggs are also luminous, meaning they glow! The female beetle lays her eggs either on or in the soil. When the eggs hatch, the larvae come out, and guess what? They glow too! These larvae grow slowly. It can take several years for them to grow big enough to change into a pupa. After the pupa stage, they become adult beetles.
A Special Larva
One interesting type is the Pyrophorus nyctophanus larva. These larvae live in tunnels inside termite mounds. You can find them in the cerrado region of Brazil. During the summer nights, they glow brightly. This light helps them attract other insects, which they then catch and eat!
See also
In Spanish: Pyrophorus para niños
