The field guide
Firefly species
Every firefly with a page here — the ones we have written a profile for, and the ones that have a page because people kept logging them.
Profiles we have written
Know what you saw
A field guide to living light
Over 2,000 firefly species glow worldwide — beetles, not flies. Each genus has its own flash "language." Here are the ones you're most likely to meet.
art farmer from evansville indiana, usa · CC BY-SA 2.0
Common eastern
Photinus pyralis
The classic backyard 'lightning bug'. Males trace a distinctive J-shaped swoop with a warm yellow flash on summer evenings.
Read the full profile →Mangrove synchronous
Pteroptyx spp.
Southeast Asia's marvel — thousands gather in mangrove trees and flash in unison, whole trees pulsing together like a heartbeat.
Read the full profile →Asian firefly
Luciola spp.
Widespread across Asia's rice paddies and rivers. Quick, greenish flashes low over water and wet fields at dusk.
Read the full profile →
Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common glow-worm
Lampyris noctiluca
The wingless female glows a steady green from the grass to call flying males — a continuous lantern, not a flash.
Read the full profile →Blue ghost
Phausis reticulata
Instead of blinking, males drift low through Appalachian forests holding a steady, eerie blue-white light.
Read the full profile →Winter Firefly
Photinus corruscus
Logged in the community sightings. Photo from Wikimedia Commons where available.
Read the full profile →Black Firefly
Lucidota atra
Logged in the community sightings. Photo from Wikimedia Commons where available.
Read the full profile →Mediterranean Pale Glow-worm
Nyctophila reichii
Logged in the community sightings. Photo from Wikimedia Commons where available.
Read the full profile →1 / 26
Reported by the community
These have no profile of ours yet. A species gets a page once it has been logged here at least 8 times, so the page can say something real about where it has been seen.
| Species | Sightings | Seen near | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rimmed Window Firefly Pyrocoelia analis | 537 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pingtung City, Taiwan | |
| Dixon's striped firefly Aspisoma ignitum | 328 | Turrialba, Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Costa Rica | |
| Abscondita anceyi | 328 | Kotapola, Sri Lanka, Cejlon, Sri Lanka | |
| Aspisoma lineatum | 204 | Duque de Caxias - RJ, Brazil, Rio Branco, Brazil | |
| Spotted Tortoise Firefly Aspisoma sticticum | 198 | Barão De Melgaço, Brazil, Ipatinga - MG, Brazil | |
| Winter Firefly Photinus corruscus | 183 | Toronto, CA, Huntsville, CA | |
| Abscondita cerata | 168 | Daan District, Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan | |
| Genji Firefly Nipponoluciola cruciata | 168 | Karuizawa, Japan | |
| Pyrocoelia formosana | 145 | Yangmingshan, Taiwan, Palath | |
| Pyrocoelia rufa | 144 | Chaohu, China, Henan, China | |
| Pyrocoelia praetexta | 130 | Wang Pong, Thailand, Kaohsiung, Taiwan | |
| Vesta impressicollis | 102 | Itariri, Brazil, University of the Philippines, Philippines | |
| Australoluciola nigra | 91 | Cd. de México, Mexico, Maroochy River, Australia | |
| Dark-winged Aquatic Firefly Asymmetricata circumdata | 88 | Thung Yang Daeng District, Thailand, Tambon Chiang Dao, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50170泰國 | |
| Black Firefly Lucidota atra | 83 | New Albany, United States, St-Étienne-des-Grès, CA | |
| Diaphanes citrinus | 74 | Manaus - AM, Brazil | |
| Curtos costipennis | 71 | Hangzhou, China, Beijing, China | |
| Pygoluciola qingyu | 70 | High West, Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Family Walk, HK | |
| Aspisoma physonotum | 70 | San Cristóbal, Venezuela, Coluna - MG, Brazil | |
| Luciola kagiana | 70 | Fangchenggang, China, Miyanoura, Japan | |
| Pyrocoelia atripennis | 64 | Ahacha, Japón, Nosoko, Okinawa 907-0333日本 | |
| Cratomorphus signativentris | 60 | San Martín de Porres, Santa Fe, Panama | |
| Australoluciola flavicollis | 58 | Oak Beach, Australia, Cairns QLD, Australia | |
| Abscondita chinensis | 57 | Elamanchili, India, Kandy, Sri Lanka | |
| Indian Glow-worm Lamprigera tenebrosa | 52 | Pune University, India, Mederipitiya, Sri Lanka | |
| Heike Firefly Aquatica lateralis | 48 | Yotsukaido, Japan, Yobito, Hokkaido 099-2421日本 | |
| Photinus extensus | 46 | Méx., Mexico, Cerrada de Ocotillos, Mexico | |
| California Glowworm Photinus californicus | 44 | Felton, United States, Cooper Mountain - Aloha North, United States | |
| Lesser Black Glow-worm Phosphaenus hemipterus | 44 | Kangasala, Finland, Česko | |
| Aquatica ficta | 43 | — | |
| Bicellonycha amoena | 40 | Escuela Francisco Beckman, Panama, Macca Bite, Panama | |
| Dark Firefly Pyropyga nigricans | 37 | Phoenix, United States, Río Sena y Avenida De los Grandes Lagos, Mexico | |
| Photinus aurora | 37 | WXRQ+XHX, Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Costa Rica | |
| Lampyris nervosa | 37 | Harod Valley, Israel, Golan, Israel | |
| Pyrocoelia lunata | 34 | Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, Hong Kong | |
| Mediterranean Pale Glow-worm Nyctophila reichii | 32 | Huesca, Spain, Alicante, Spain | |
| Abscondita terminalis | 30 | Emei Township, Taiwan, Kalasgram, Bangladesh | |
| Aspisoma aegrotum | 28 | Macca Bite, Panama, San Antonio de Oriente, Honduras | |
| Luciola mingrelica | 28 | Nosy Antanimora, Madagascar, PPVQ+CJX, Georgia | |
| Luciola parvula | 28 | Kasamatsu, Japan, Sanyo, Japan | |
| Lucidota amabilis | 27 | Nueva California, Panama, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica | |
| Aspisoma quasidiaphanum | 26 | Monjarás, Honduras, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica | |
| Photinus signaticollis | 25 | San Jeronimo Nte., Argentina, Sant Jordi Desvalls, ES | |
| Little Gray Firefly Photinus marginellus | 25 | Lavras, Brazil, Ithaca, United States | |
| Pyrocoelia sanguiniventer | 25 | La Cebollal, Nicaragua | |
| Luciola curtithorax | 24 | — | |
| Vesta sinuata | 23 | Doi Inthanon, Thailand, Mae Chaem District, Thailand | |
| Lesser Glowworm Lamprohiza splendidula | 19 | Leipzig-Süd, Germany, Slovensko | |
| Curtos okinawanus | 19 | Onna, Japan, Tamagusuku, Japan | |
| Cratomorphus distinctus | 19 | Mairiporã, Brazil, Rancho Bolonha, Brazil | |
| Vesta latastei | 19 | Ovalle, Chile, Yerba Buena, Chile | |
| Heterophotinus vittatus | 17 | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Caño Seco, Dominican Republic | |
| Photuris trivittata | 17 | San José, Costa Rica, Tikal, Guatemala | |
| Luciola unmunsana | 17 | Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea, Uihang-ri, South Korea | |
| Cratomorphus aequalis | 17 | Maria Farinha, Brazil, Trindade, Brazil | |
| Lei's Swamp Flasher Aquatica leii | 16 | — | |
| Sneaky Elf Pyropyga decipiens | 15 | Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, United States, East Northport, United States | |
| Abscondita perplexa | 15 | Jaffna, Sri Lanka, Attidiya North, Sri Lanka | |
| Pyrocoelia pectoralis | 14 | Beijing, China, Changsha, China | |
| Vesta chevrolatii | 14 | Guangyuan Village, Taiwan, Hengchun Township, Taiwan | |
| Pyrocoelia matsumurai | 14 | sueyoshi park, Jashiki, Okinawa 905-1426日本 | |
| Tropic Traveler Tenaspis angularis | 13 | Lavras, Brazil, Gainesville, United States | |
| Portuguese Firefly Luciola lusitanica | 13 | Santiago, Panama, Imus City, Philippines | |
| Spring Treetop Flasher Pyractomena borealis | 10 | Aroostook County, United States, Haygood Dr NE, United States | |
| Texas Hooker Firefly Pyractomena punctiventris | 10 | Rosharon, United States, Sugar Land, United States | |
| Cratomorphus diaphanus | 10 | Pelotas - RS, Brazil, Vila Milani, Brazil | |
| Lucidota bella | 10 | Paucartambo Province, Peru, Cobán, Guatemala | |
| Diaphanes lampyroides | 10 | Huizhou, China | |
| Pleotomus pallens | 9 | Wood County, United States, Glen Rose, United States | |
| Fall Southwest Firefly Photinus knulli | 8 | Civano, United States, Tumacacori, United States |