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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Lampyris noctiluca
Coleoptera / Lampyridae
Lampyris noctiluca is a European and Asian firefly with strongly different adult sexes. The wingless, larviform female displays a steady yellow-green light to attract the smaller flying male.
Read the species account
Lampyris noctiluca belongs to Lampyridae, the firefly family. [4]
Females are wingless, with exposed body segments, and reach about 20 mm. Smaller males have hardened wing covers and functional flight wings. Larvae carry reddish spots along the segment margins. [1]
In the British seasonal account, adults are active from May to September, with a peak in June and July. Larvae are encountered over a longer season, from April to October. [1]
Larvae prey on snails. Adults do not feed, completing reproduction on resources accumulated during immature development. [1]
The female’s lantern lies on the underside near the abdominal tip. [1]
In a 2019 field experiment in Lippelo, Belgium, females exposed to orange streetlighting continued glowing for a median of six nights, compared with one night in dark locations. The researchers used cessation of glowing as a proxy for mating, and interpreted the prolonged displays as reduced mate attraction. [2]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Emily Osterloff; Natural History Museum, London · Accessed 2026-10-13
Van den Broeck, De Cock, Van Dongen & Matthysen; Insects 12, 734 (2021) · Accessed 2026-10-13
Martin Novák; Zootaxa (2017) · Accessed 2026-10-13
GBIF Secretariat · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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