Ecology of Colors of Firefly Bioluminescence

Lall, Abner B.; Seliger, H. H.; Biggley, W. H.; Lloyd, James E.

doi:10.1126/science.210.4469.560

Cited by 108 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…There is convincing evidence that interspecific differences in signal wavelength are adaptations to different light environments or 'photic niches' (Cronin et al, 2000;Lall et al, 1980;Seliger et al, 1982b). Coloured filter pigments have been found in every species so far examined, with spectral absorbance properties that imply a role in tuning spectral sensitivity to match the species' bioluminescence (Cronin et al, 2000;Lall et al, 1988).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The flightless female produces a constant greenish glow from composite abdominal light organs, which attracts the winged male (Tyler, 2002). The species is active only after the end of dusk, when ambient light levels are less than 1.7·lx (Dreisig, 1971), placing them in the same nocturnal photic niche (Lall et al, 1980) as the greenemitting North American Photuris fireflies. There is no flash dialogue between the sexes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although it is clear that the response to the bioluminescence is mediated by the beetles' long (L) wavelength (sensitivity maximum >500·nm) receptors, there are other spectral types of receptor -as required for colour vision. Electroretinogram (ERG) data from North American (Lall et al, 1980) and Japanese fireflies (Eguchi et al, 1984) show two sensitivity peaks, corresponding to L and UV (<400·nm) receptors. In addition, a separate short (S) wavelength peak (c. 450·nm) was suggested by selective adaptation experiments on some species of Photuris (Lall et al, 1982(Lall et al, , 1988 and three Japanese species including Luciola lateralis (Eguchi et al, 1984).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colour vision in the glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca (L.)(Coleoptera: Lampyridae): evidence for a green-blue chromatic mechanism

Booth

Stewart

Osorio

2004

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Male glow-worms Lampyris noctiluca find their bioluminescent mates at night by phototaxis. There is good evidence that location of mates by lampyrid beetles is achieved by a single spectral class of photoreceptor,whose spectral sensitivity is tuned to the bioluminescent spectrum emitted by conspecifics, and is achromatic. We ask whether glow-worm phototaxis involves interactions between two spectral classes of photoreceptor. Binary choice experiments were conducted in which males were presented with artificial light stimuli that differ in spectral composition. The normal preference for a green stimulus (λmax=555 nm), corresponding to the bioluminescence wavelength produced by signalling females, was significantly reduced by adding a blue (λmax=485 nm) component to the signal. This implies an antagonistic interaction between long- and short-wavelength sensitive photoreceptors, suggesting colour vision based on chromatic opponency. Cryosections showed a band of yellow filter pigment in the fronto-dorsal region of the male compound eye, which could severely constrain colour vision in the dim conditions in which the insects signal. This apparent paradox is discussed in the context of the distribution of the pigment within the eye and the photic niche of the species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Colour vision in the glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca (L.)(Coleoptera: Lampyridae): evidence for a green-blue chromatic mechanism

Booth

Stewart

Osorio

2004

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…This explains the green S(2) functions with a maximum around 550 nm found in dark-active fireflies (Lall 1981;Lall et al 1980b;1982). Among the twilight-active fireflies, species-specific screening pigments in conjunction with the P550 visual pigment produce narrow S(2) maxima in the yellow (Lall et al 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Spectral sensitivity of the compound eyes in two day-active fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Lucidota)

Lall

Lloyd

1989

J Comp Physiol A

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The electroretinographic visual spectral sensitivity functions in day-active fireflies Lucidota luteicollis and Lucidota atra show a broad green sensitivity and a shoulder in the near-ultraviolet region of the spectrum as is commonly found among day-active insects. The nomogram for P530 visual pigment matches the spectral sensitivity curves in the green. The adult L. luteicollis retains its larval bioluminescent light organ which has a peak emission at 562 nm. The lambda max of the ERG spectral sensitivity does not match the bioluminescent peak as it does in twilight- and dark-active fireflies. Some relevant behavioural observations with respect to mating are presented.

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“…In biological systems this process is called bioluminescence [1,2], a well known example of which is the firefly, a species of the Lampyridae beetle family [7]. These light emitting chemical processes are seen in a broad range of organisms, including fungi, bacteria, fly larve, millipedes and earthworms [8], and many deep sea marine animals [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light manipulation principles in biological photonic systems

Starkey

Vukusic

2013

Nanophotonics

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Abstract:The science of light and colour manipulation continues to generate interest across a range of disciplines, from mainstream biology, across multiple physics-based fields, to optical engineering. Furthermore, the study of light production and manipulation is of significant value to a variety of industrial processes and commercial products. Among the several key methods by which colour is produced in the biological world, this review sets out to describe, in some detail, the specifics of the method involving photonics in animal and plant systems; namely, the mechanism commonly referred to as structural colour generation. Not only has this theme been a very rapidly growing area of physics-based interest, but also it is increasingly clear that the biological world is filled with highly evolved structural designs by which light and colour strongly influence behaviours and ecological functions.

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Ecology of Colors of Firefly Bioluminescence

Cited by 108 publications

References 6 publications

Colour vision in the glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca (L.)(Coleoptera: Lampyridae): evidence for a green-blue chromatic mechanism

Colour vision in the glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca (L.)(Coleoptera: Lampyridae): evidence for a green-blue chromatic mechanism

Spectral sensitivity of the compound eyes in two day-active fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Lucidota)

Light manipulation principles in biological photonic systems

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