Description of the bioluminescent emission spectrum of Bicellonycha amoena Gorham, 1880 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) in Guatemala

Abstract

Bicellonycha amoena (Gorham, 1880) (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) usually flies one meter above ground level over grass, water, or open areas, where males produce a simple single flash every 2–4 seconds, having their most active flashing period from mid to late dusk and early night. In addition, nothing else is known about the behavior of this species. We conducted field observations at the “Mayan Golf Club” in Guatemala Department, and Santiago Sacatepéquez, Sacatepéquez Department, Guatemala; and analyzed B. amoena flashes with a spectroscope. Fireflies displayed a lime-green bioluminescence color. The male flash¬ing activity began ~30 minutes after sunset and lasted approximately 70 minutes. For B. amoena, the spectral composition of the flash is intermediate between those known from twilight-active fireflies and nocturnal-active fireflies.

Resumen

Bicellonycha amoena (Gorham, 1880) (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) por lo general, vuela a un metro del nivel del suelo sobre pasto, agua o áreas abiertas, donde los machos producen un destello simple cada 2–4 segundos, siendo más activos desde que inicia a oscurecer hasta principios de la noche. Además de esto, no se conoce más sobre el comportamiento de esta especie. Realizamos observaciones de campo en el “Mayan Golf Club” en el Departamento de Guatemala, y en Santiago Sacatepéquez, Departamento de Sacatepéquez, Guatemala; y analizamos los destellos de B. amoena con un espectroscopio. Las luciérnagas mostraron un color de bioluminiscencia verde limón. La actividad de destello del macho comenzó ~30 minutos después de la puesta del sol, y duró aproximadamente 70 minutos. Para B. amoena, la composición espectral de su destello es intermedia entre la conocida para luciérnagas de actividad crepuscular y de actividad nocturna.

References (45)

• Biggley WH, Lloyd JE, Seliger HH. 1967. The spectral distribution of firefly light. II. The Journal of General Physiology 50: 1681–1692.
• Bohórquez I. 1996. Studies toward the taxonomic revision of Bicellonycha Motschulsky, 1853 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Photurinae). University of Florida; Gainesville, FL. 193 p
• Booth D. 2004. Colour vision in the glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca (L.) (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Evidence for a green-blue chromatic mechanism. Journal of Experimental Biology 207: 2373–2378.
• Branham MA, Faust LF. 2019. Firefly flashing activity during the totality phase of a solar eclipse. Entomological News 128: 191–203.
• Branham MA, Wenzel JW. 2001. The evolution of bioluminescence in Cantharoids (Coleoptera: Elateroidea). The Florida Entomologist 84(4): 565–586.
• Branham MA, Wenzel JW. 2003. The origin of photic behavior and the evolution of sexual communication in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). Cladistics 19: 1–22.
• Branchini BR, Ablamsky DM, Rosenberg JC. 2010. Chemically modified firefly luciferase is an efficient source of near-infrared light. Bioconjugate Chemistry 21: 2023–2030.
• Cronin TW, Järvilehto M, Weckström M, Lall AB. 2000. Tuning of photoreceptor spectral sensitivity in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). Journal of Comparative Physiology A 186: 1–12.
• Döring TF, Skorupski P. 2007. Blattfarben von wirts- und nichtwirtspflanzen im wahrnehmungsbereich des kartoffelkäfers (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Entomologia Generalis 29: 81–95.
• Faust LF. 2017. Fireflies, glow-worms, and lightning bugs! Identification and natural history of the fireflies of the eastern and central United States and Canada. University of Georgia Press; Athens, GA. 375 p
• Gorham HS. 1881. Insecta. Coleoptera. Malacodermata. Lampyridae. Biologia Centrali-Americana 3(2): 29–65.
• Hasselmann EM. 1962. Über die relative spektrale Empfindlichkeit von Käfer- und Schmetterlingsaugen bei verschiedenen Helligkeiten. Zoologische Jahrbücher 69: 573–576.
• Ilyina AD, Cerda FR, Estrada BC, Dukhovich AF, Gaona LGJ, Garza GY, Rodríguez MJ. 1998. Sistema bioluminiscente luciferina-luciferasa de las luciérnagas. Parte I: Propiedades bioquímicas y catalíticas de la enzima luciferasa. Journal of the Mexican Chemical Society 42(3): 99–108.
• INSIVUMEH. 2022. INSIVUMEH – Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología Available at https://insivumeh.gob.gt/(Last accessed June 2023.)
• Jacobs GH. 2013. Losses of functional opsin genes, short-wavelength cone photopigments, and color vision: A significant trend in the evolution of mammalian vision. Visual Neuroscience 30: 39–53.