Bicellonycha amoena, Gorham, 1880, Gorham, 1880

Arrivillaga-Cano, Eduardo A., Muñoz-Soler, María P., Pineda, Diegopáblo, Rosales, Edgar R. & Schuster, Jack C., 2023, Description of the bioluminescent emission spectrum of Bicellonycha amoena Gorham, 1880 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) in Guatemala, Insecta Mundi 2023 (997), pp. 1-9 : 5

Results

Male flash pattern. The time of most flashings of B. amoena was from mid to late dusk and early night. The male flashing activity began ~30 minutes after sunset and lasted approximately 70 minutes. We observed that males of the MGC population flew about a meter from the ground surrounding females while females stayed on the grass. In contrast, males of the SS population, similarly to females, remained at the tip of the leaves of the grass. The flash of the males lasts a few milliseconds, while that of the females lasts approximately one second. At 17°C, males in the SS population flashed every 6.21 sec, and at 20°C, at the MGC population, every 6.02 sec.

Bioluminescent emission spectrum. The light from the lantern of B. amoena appears yellowish-green. Spectroscope measurements confirm a lime-green color. On average, the shortest wavelength present in the spectrum of bioluminescence of both males and females at the SS population is 530 nm; and the longest is 626 nm. At MGC population for both sexes, the shortest average is 526 nm, and the largest is 615 nm. There is no significant difference between populations in terms of which wavelength was the shortest and largest within the wavelength range of the bioluminescence spectrum (z = −1.63, p> 0.05, n = 10; z = −0.92, p> 0.05, n = 10 respectively). On average, the shortest wavelength present in the bioluminescence spectrum of B. amoena is 528 nm, and the largest is 621 nm. The wavelength of maximum intensity (peak wavelength) is 565 nm ( Fig. 3 ). It is comparable to that of the North American species Photinus consanguineous (LeConte, 1852) , Photinus consimilis (Green, 1956) , Photinus sabulosus (Green, 1956) , and Photinus umbratus (LeConte, 1878) ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

Figure 3. Bioluminescence emission spectrum of B. amoena. A) SS population. B) MGC population.

Figure 4. Bioluminescence emission spectrum of B. amoena in comparison to that of some North American Photinus species. A) B. amoena. B) P. tanytoxus. C) P. consanguineus. D) P. consimilis. E) P. sabulosus. F) P. umbratus (Biggley et al. 1967).