6. LAMPYRIDAE (Fireflies, Glow worms)
They show sexual dimorphism.
Male
: head is concealed by the semicircular pronotum.
Eyes are well developed and contiguous.
Forewings are soft and flexible. They do not fully cover the abdomen.
Photogenic organ is found in sixth and seventh abdominal segments.
Female
: Head is hidden by pronotum.
Eyes are very much reduced.
Wings are absent and is larviform.
Photogenic organ is present in seventh abdominal segment.
Larvae are with sickle like mandibles. They are carnivorous and feed on snails. Extra
intestinal digestion is common in larvae.
All life stages are luminous to varying degree. The luminescence is produced by the
oxidation of a substance luciferin in the presence of an enzyme luciferase. The function
of luminescence is to bring the sexes together.
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