Beetles of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):
Scientific Name: Common Name:

View	LAMPYRIDAE Members:	Members of Photinus:	67 NC Records
Photinus pyralis - No Common Name

Photo by: j.wyche

Photo by: Katherine Hale

Photo by: Rob Van Epps

Taxonomy

Family: LAMPYRIDAE

Subfamily: Lampyrinae

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Faust (2017)	Online Resources: BugGuide, Google, Wikipedia, GBIF, iNaturalist
Comments: A round or diamond-shaped dark spot is located in the center of the pronotum and surrounded on three sides by a pink shade (Faust, 2017). The lateral edge of the pronotum is yellow but the flange above the head and in front of the pink and dark spots may be smoky fuscous. The scutellum is pale and the elytra are dark gray, edged with yellow both on the outer and inner margins. The pygidium is pale. The flash is j-shaped, involving a drop in elevation done by the males as it emits the flash, which may be 0.6-0.8 seconds in duration.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 9-19 mm (Faust, 2017)

Distribution in North Carolina


County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge

Habitats and Life History

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Status in North Carolina

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Comments:

Photo Gallery for Photinus pyralis
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin Chatham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: V. Jones, G. Schneider Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: j.wyche Gates Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Anderson Wake Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Katherine Hale Alleghany Co. Comment:

Photo Gallery for Photinus pyralis