SOS FAMILY XIj. — TjAMPYRTD.T'. 



The fii-cfiies arc iiicdium or siiiall-si/ed, cloiig'ate or ohlonii', 

 beetles of soft striietnre. mostly plain l)laek or brownish in color 

 and often havinfir th(> tlioi-ax hordci-cd with red or yellow and ex- 

 panding into a thin i)i'().i('('tinii' maro'in which, in many species, 

 covers the head. Tlwy have the maxilla' exposed at the base and 

 bcai'ino- two ciliatc loli(>s. Ilic inner of v,hich is sometimes obsolete; 

 antenna' serrate, usnaily 1 l-joinicd and inserted on the front; elytra 

 thin, flexible, sometimes short and never strongly embracing the 

 sides of abdomen, the laltei- wilii seven or eight free ventral seg- 

 ments; front coxal (•a\ities lai'ge. transverse, the coxa' conical, with 

 large trochantins; middle coxu' ol)li(|uc, nsnally contiguous; hind 

 coxa' transverse and jjroinincnt : legs long, slender, often com- 

 pressed; tai-si S-jointcd. not lobed beneath, the fourth joint more or 

 less bilobed. 



The name "Lampyrida'" is derived from a Greek word meaning 

 '•to shine." and refers to the propei'ty above mentioned which many 

 of the larger forms possess, viz., that of emitting a phosphorescent 

 or Inminons glow. This light-giving apparatus is located on the 

 under side of one or moi'c segments of the abdomen and is com- 

 ]K)sed of a specialized portion of fatty tissue, situated directly under 

 the soft chitinous covei- and thickly snpplied with nerves and fine 

 tracheal branches. "The cells of this luminous organ secrete, under 

 the control of the nervous system, a substance which is burnt dur- 

 ing the appearance of the light; Ibis combustion takes place by 

 means of the oxygen of the air conveyed to the cells of the luminous 

 body by the trachea', which branch profusely in it and break up 

 into capillaries." The burning takes place without producing 

 sensible heat, is controlled by the will of the insect and is intermit- 

 tent, being exhibited by [lashes. It is a vital phenomenon and 

 ceases after death, but the luminous segments can be recognized in 

 dried specimens by their yellow hue. 



That the light-giving ixiwei- is of es|)ecial importance to the true 

 fireflies, which all belong to the subfamily 1 ampyrina\ is shown by 

 the fact that they usually have the eyes largely developed, and that 

 they are nocturnal insects, being sluggish by day, when they rest 

 upon the ground, the trnnks of tree-! or the foliage of herbs or 

 grasses. The property of emitting light is possessed both by the 

 perfect insect and the larv:p, the lattei', as well as the wingless 

 females of certain species, being known as "glow-worms." Those 

 ])elonging to the other snbfamilies arc dinrnal in hal)it and are 

 nsnally fonnd n]ion flowei's or rnnninu acti\'el\- abont over leaves in 



