2023/02/17
Chubu University
Keio University
Key Points
Fireflies use light signals for communication between males and females.
This study revealed that the light signal "flicker" is one of the keys to distinguishing between three groups: males, unmated females, and mated females.
It was experimentally confirmed for the first time that Heike fireflies converse using light flickers.
Understanding the courtship system based on light emission will provide important insights for the conservation of Heike fireflies, which are declining due to environmental changes.
Heike fireflies (*Luciola lateralis*), distributed across Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and northern China, are often seen in paddy fields and wetlands around July and August. The flashing light emitted by males, particularly when perched on grass, includes a millisecond-level "flicker." This flickering phenomenon is not observed in Genji fireflies (*Nipponoluciola cruciata*), a species endemic to Japan. However, the reason behind this star-like twinkling light of the Heike firefly was previously unknown.
Researcher Hideo Takatsu and Professor Yuichi Oba of the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology at Chubu University, and Professor Mihoko Minami of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, have revealed that Heike fireflies communicate using light "flickers." These findings were published in the online edition of the scientific journal *Scientific Reports*, from the major academic publisher Springer Nature, on Friday, February 10 (JST).
For the full press release, please see below.