Types of Fireflies

Photinus pyralis, known by the common names common eastern firefly and big dipper firefly, is the most common species of firefly in North America. P. pyralis is a flying and light-producing beetle with a light organ on the ventral side of its abdomen.

The Cyphonocerinae are a subfamily of fireflies with only a few handful of species in (presumably) two genera found in North America and Eurasia. Its taxonomic history is confusing; it has at various times been included in the now-abolished Amydetinae or the Lampyrinae (which made these paraphyletic).

Many fireflies do not produce light. Usually these species are diurnal, or day-flying, such as those in the genus Ellychnia. A few diurnal fireflies that inhabit primarily shadowy places, such as beneath tall plants or trees, are luminescent. One such genus is Lucidota. Non-bioluminescent fireflies use pheromones to signal mates.

The Lampyridae are a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous use of bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey.

Although Lampyris noctiluca is often referred to as a glow worm, it isn't worm-like at all. Other names that you may have heard for the Lampyridae family in general are fireflies and lightning bugs. Lampyris noctiluca is usually brownish to blackish in color.

Luciola is a genus of "flashing" fireflies (family Lampyridae), especially well-known from Japan. They are often called "Japanese fireflies", but their members range farther into Asia and reach southern Europe (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, among other countries) and Africa.

Photuris is a genus of fireflies (beetles of the family Lampyridae). These are the femme fatale lightning bugs of North America. This common name refers to a behavior of the adult females of these predatory beetles; they engage in aggressive mimicry, imitating the light signals of other firefly species' females to attract, kill, and eat the males.