Evaluating firefly extinction risk: Initial red list assessments for North America

Fallon, Candace E.; Walker, Anna C.; Lewis, Sara M.; Cicero, Joseph M.; Faust, Lynn; Heckscher, Christopher M.; Pérez-Hernández, Cisteil X.; Pfeiffer, Ben; Jepsen, Sarina

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259379

Cited by 20 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…While fireflies exist across the American West, populations tend to be much more sparse and localized than in the East. These swarms are rare and fragile; P. knulli is now considered as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature [ 24 ]. Over the past few decades, increased habitat degradation (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical analysis reveals the onset of synchrony in sparse swarms of Photinus knulli fireflies

Sarfati

Gaudette

Cicero³

et al. 2022

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Flash synchrony within firefly swarms is an elegant but elusive manifestation of collective animal behaviour. It has been observed, and sometimes demonstrated, in a few populations across the world, but exactly which species are capable of large-scale synchronization remains unclear, especially for low-density swarms. The underlying question which we address here is: how does one qualify a collective flashing display as synchronous, given that the only information available is the time and location of flashes? We propose different statistical approaches and apply them to high-resolution stereoscopic video recordings of the collective flashing of Photinus knulli fireflies, hence establishing the occurrence of synchrony in this species. These results substantiate detailed visual observations published in the early 1980s and made at the same experimental site: Peña Blanca Canyon, Coronado National Forest, AZ, USA. We also remark that P. knulli ’s collective flashing patterns mirror those observed in Photinus carolinus fireflies in the Eastern USA, consisting of synchronous flashes in periodic bursts with rapid accretion and quick decay.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical analysis reveals the onset of synchrony in sparse swarms of Photinus knulli fireflies

Sarfati

Gaudette

Cicero³

et al. 2022

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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“…However, whether this pattern is also reflected in its impacts on mate success remains to be conclusively demonstrated. Future research is necessary to improve our understanding of the movement and mate success of fully nocturnal fireflies, especially those species currently listed as threatened or data deficient [ 79 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial light impacts the mate success of female fireflies

Owens

Lewis

2022

R. Soc. open sci.

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Anthropogenic light pollution is a novel environmental disruption that affects the movement, foraging and mating behaviour of nocturnal animals. Most of these effects are sublethal, and their net impact on reproductive fitness and population persistence is often extrapolated from behavioural data. Without dedicated tracking of wild individuals, however, it is impossible to predict whether populations in light-polluted habitats will decline or, instead, move to shaded refuges. To disentangle these conflicting possibilities, we investigated how artificial light affects mating and movement in North American Photinus , a genus of bioluminescent fireflies known to experience courtship failure under artificial light. The degree to which artificial light reduced mate success depended on the intensity of the light treatment, its environmental context, and the temporal niche of the species in question. In the laboratory, direct exposure to artificial light completely prevented mating in semi-nocturnal Photinus obscurellus . In the field, artificial light had little impact on the movement or mate success of local Photinus pyralis and Photinus marginellus but strongly influenced mate location in Photinus greeni ; all three species are relatively crepuscular. Our nuanced results suggest greater appreciation of behavioural diversity will help insect conservationists and dark sky advocates better target efforts to protect at-risk species.

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“…Recent concern over firefly declines has led to a need for methods to assess population abundance (Fallon et al 2021). While methods exist for assaying lighted firefly populations using transects (Picchi et al 2013), photography (Kirton et al 2012), or video (Sarfati et al 2020), unlighted species are more cryptic and thus, more difficult to assess.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of a Female-produced Sex Attractant Pheromone of the Winter Firefly,Photinus corrusca

Lower

Pask

Arriola

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Firefly flashes are well-known visual signals used by these insects to find, identify, and choose mates. However, many firefly species have lost the ability to produce light as adults. These unlighted species generally lack developed adult light organs, are diurnal rather than nocturnal, and are believed to use volatile pheromones acting over a distance to locate mates. While cuticular hydrocarbons, which may function in mate recognition at close range, have been examined for a handful of the over 2000 extant firefly species, no volatile pheromone has ever been identified. In this study, using coupled gas chromatography - electroantennographic detection, we detected a single female-emitted compound that elicited antennal responses from wild-caught male winter fireflies,Photinus corrusca. The compound was identified as (1S)-exo-3-hydroxycamphor (hydroxycamphor). In field trials at two sites across the species eastern North American range, large numbers of maleP. corruscawere attracted to synthesized hydroxycamphor, verifying its function as a volatile sex attractant pheromone. Males spent more time in contact with lures treated with synthesized hydroxycamphor than those treated with solvent only in laboratory two-choice assays. Further, using single sensillum recordings, we characterized a pheromone-sensitive odorant receptor neuron in a specific olfactory sensillum on maleP. corruscaantennae and demonstrated its sensitivity to hydroxycamphor. Thus, this study has identified the first volatile pheromone and its corresponding sensory neuron for any firefly species, and provides a tool for monitoringP. corruscapopulations for conservation, and further inquiry into the chemical and cellular bases for sexual communication among fireflies.

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Evaluating firefly extinction risk: Initial red list assessments for North America

Cited by 20 publications

References 59 publications

Statistical analysis reveals the onset of synchrony in sparse swarms of Photinus knulli fireflies

Statistical analysis reveals the onset of synchrony in sparse swarms of Photinus knulli fireflies

Artificial light impacts the mate success of female fireflies

Identification of a Female-produced Sex Attractant Pheromone of the Winter Firefly,Photinus corrusca

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