A morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of the family Phengodidae (Coleoptera) is given. Thirty-six terminals, six genera and 60 morphological characters are included. To test the monophyly of phengodid subfamilies the terminals that belong to superfamily Elateroidea Drilocephalus Pic (Dascillidae), Pterotus LeConte (incertae sedis), Vesperelater Costa (Elateridae), Photinus Laporte (Lampyrida...

Male Photinus collustrans LeConte fireflies fly over their grassland habitats flashing and seeking their flightless females. I followed individual males, measured, and took note of various aspects of their behavior. Then, from a sample of 255 male runs, with a total distance of 13.9 miles and 10,306 flashes, various sets of these males, those seemingly directed by other than search flight-plans...

Many key advances in our understanding of firefly biology and signaling have been made over the past two decades. Here we review this recent research, which includes new phylogenetic results that shed light on the evolution of courtship signal diversity within the family Lampyridae, new insights into firefly flash control, and the discovery of firefly nuptial gifts. We present a comprehensive o...

Incorporation of (18)O into the CO(2) produced in the bioluminescent oxidation of firefly luciferin was studied. In H(2) (16)O medium with (18)O(2) gas, the product CO(2) contained up to 75% C(16)O(18)O, showing that one O of the product CO(2) arose from the O(2) that oxidized luciferin. This result is consistent with a dioxetane mechanism. Analysis of the mass spectral data of the CO(2) obtain...

Diverse reporter gene systems are widely used for the mapping and functional analysis of the promoter sequences that critically control the cell typeand stimulus-specific transcriptional activity of diverse eukaryotic genes. In this type of analysis, the promoters are fused to the reporter genes, whose activity can be easily and stably assayed following transient transfection, to evaluate the p...

Lampyridae taxonomy has traditionally relied on a few characters now deemed to be highly homoplastic, and their classification—especially at the genus level—is yet consolidated based rigorous phylogenetic analyses. Recent studies highlighted value of genitalic trait variation in evolution Lampyridae, particularly for rich poorly known South American Photinini fauna. Here, we describe new genus,...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) fine-tune target protein synthesis by suppressing gene expression, temporally changing along development and possibly in pathological conditions. A method to monitor the action of miRNAs in vivo shall help understand their dynamic behavior during development. In this study, we established a transgenic mouse harboring miR-124 responsive element in their luciferase-eGFP reporte...

ATP and luciferin are not only substrates of firefly luciferase, but can, in addition, modulate its activity. High concentrations of luciferin induce a conformational change of the enzyme that temporarily reduces the catalytic rate. Re-activation takes approx. 20 min and is independent of variation in the concentration of enzyme or ATP, but lengthens with increasing luciferin concentration. Hig...

In many insects, nuptial gifts in the form of spermatophores have been shown to increase female fecundity and to contribute to female somatic maintenance. Examining how variation in male spermatophore size affects female fitness components can provide insight into the evolution of nuptial gifts, as well as insight into potential conflicts between the sexes. Here we present an experimental study...