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U.S. Fireflies Flashing in Unison
A rare, dazzling spectacle may not be limited to far-flung places
Researchers are finding examples in the United States of fireflies that synchronize their flashes, a phenomenon previously observed only among Asian species.
References:
Buck, J. 1988. Synchronous rhythmic flashing of fireflies. II. The Quarterly Review of Biology 63(September):265.
Buck, J., and E. Buck. 1976. Synchronous fireflies. Scientific American (May):77.
Further Readings:
Branham, M.A., and M.D. Greenfield. 1996. Flashing males win mate success. Nature 381(June 27):745.
Moiseff, A., and J. Copeland. 1995. Mechanisms of synchrony in the North American firefly Photinus carolinus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). Journal of Insect Behavior 8:395.
Peterson, I. 1998. Call of the firefly. In The Jungles of Randomness: A Mathematical Safari. New York: Wiley & Sons.
______. 1991. Step in time. Science News 140(Aug. 31):136.
The Bioluminescence Web page offers an overview of bioluminescent creatures with lists, photos, and notes of research at http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/.
A basic guide to attracting fireflies, understanding their behavior, and finding more resources can be found at http://IRIS.biosci.ohio-state.edu:80/projects/FFiles/frfact.html.
James F. Case's homepage at http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~case/ includes a film of a tethered firefly turning his head and orienting toward a flashing target.
Sources:
Elisabeth Buck
7200 3rd Avenue
Apartment C20
Sykesville, MD 21784
John Buck
7200 3rd Avenue
Apartment C20
Sykesville, MD 21784
James F. Case
University of California, Santa Barbara
Department of Marine Biology
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Jonathan Copeland
Georgia Southern University
Department of Biology
Statesboro, GA 30460
Michael Greenfield
University of Kansas
Department of Entomology
Division of Biological Sciences
Lawrence, KS 66045-2106
Andrew Moiseff
University of Connecticut
Department of Physiology and Neurobiology
Storrs, CT 06269
Fran Rametta
Congaree Swamp National Park
200 Caroline Sims Road
Hopkins, SC 29061
From Science News, Vol. 155, No. 11, March 13, 1999, p. 168. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.
