#Biodiversity150 number 1 of 150 Firefly

1/150: These Fireflies are Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Photuris quadrifulgens (Barber, 1951)

Photuris quadrifulgens is a species in the beetle family Lampyridae, commonly known as the fireflies. This species belongs to the femme fatale lightning bugs that produce light flashes from lantern organs on their abdomen.The majority of fireflies use this flashing pattern as a form of communication to help attract potential mates. Interestingly this genus has developed the capability to mimic the flash pattern of other firefly species resulting in the females attracting eager males for mating. Unfortunately for the males, the females are not looking for a partner, but rather a meal to devour.  Not only do they eat their prey for nutrition, but they also obtain their defensive chemicals for protection. Talk about a bad date! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

A firefly devouring another of it’s kind. Photo Credit: Charles Tilford goo.gl/MwRvi7
Fireflies at night. Photo Credit: Mike Lewinski goo.gl/a9fejh

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: BBCCM478-10

nucleotide sequence

GACATTATATTTTATTTTTGGTGCTTGATCAGGAATATTAGGAACTTCTTTAAGATTATTAATTCGAGCAGAATTAGGAAGACCTGGATCCTTAATTGGAAATGATCAAATTTTTAATGTTATTGTAACAGCTCACGCTTTCATTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCAGTAATAATTGGAGGATTTGGAAATTGACTAGTACCCCTAATACTTGGTGCCCCTGATATAGCCTTCCCCCGAATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGACTGTTACCTCCCTCTATTACCCTTCTTTTAATAAGAAGAATAGTTGAAAGAGGAGCCGGTACTGGTTGAACTGTTTACCCCCCATTATCTGCTAATTTAGCTCATAGAGGGGCATCTGTTGATTTAGCTATTTTTAGATTACATTTAGCTGGAATTTCTTCAATTTTAGGTGCAGTAAATTTTATTTCAACTATTGCTAATATACGACCAATTGAAATAAAGCTCGACCAAATACCTTTATTTGTTTGAGCTGTTCTTATTACAGCTGTACTTTTACTTTTATCCCTACCAGTTTTAGCTGGAGCTATTACTATGTTATTAACTGACCGTAATTTAAATTCTTCATTCTTTGATCCAGCAGGAGGTGGAGATCCAATTTTATATCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYFIFGAWSGMLGTSLSLLIRAELGSPGSLIGNDQIFNVIVTAHAFIMIFFMVMPVMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSITLLLMSSMVESGAGTGWTVYPPLSANLAHSGASVDLAIFSLHLAGISSILGAVNFISTIANMRPIEMKLDQMPLFVWAVLITAVLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNLNSSFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAF6064

Title image: Specimen BIOUG03766-D12 – Point Pelee National Park – 01-Aug-2012 – Malaise Trap.
Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics

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