Photinus macdermotti

P. macdermotti is a medium-sized beetle, with adults that measure about 10 mm (0.4 in) long. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a black, rectangular central mark bounded by red or pink. The wing covers, or elytra, are dark with well-defined, light-colored margins. The male has lanterns in segments 6 and 7 of its abdomen, and the female has only one lantern. It is nearly identical in appearance to Photinus consanguineus and Photinus greeni.^[3]

Photinus is from the Greek word for shining or bright.^[5] The species honors Frank McDermott, a firefly expert from the 1900s.^[3]

Beetles such as P. macdermotti go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Photinus fireflies spend the majority of their lives as larvae, which are bioluminescent and likely live below the soil surface, eating snails, worms, and other soft-bodied invertebrates.^[1][3]

Adult male P. macdermotti fireflies fly 0.3–1.2 m (1–4 ft) off the ground and flash to attract the attention of females. Their flash pattern consists of two quick pulses of light, with each pulse approximately 0.25 seconds in length, with a period of 2 seconds of darkness before the next set of 2 pulses at 70 °F (21.1 °C). A female responds with an answering flash from a perch on low vegetation. The male and female communicate in this way until the male finds the female and they mate.^[3]

These fireflies can be found in both lower-elevation forests and higher-elevation river valleys and open forests.^[3]