Conversations with Fireflies

By Lisa Carloye

Abstract

This case explores the aggressive mimicry behavior of the femme fatale firefly - female fireflies in the genus Photuris that mimic the flash pattern of females in the genus Photinus in order to lure Photinus males to their death. The case consists of a series of fictionalized field book entries that are based on an article by J.E. Lloyd that originally appeared in Science in 1965, as well as a series of handouts that the instructor presents to the students for analysis and discussion in class in a progressive disclosure format.

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Date Posted

03/26/2004

Overview

Objectives

To illustrate aggressive mimicry.
To expose students to the scientific process.
To give students practice interpreting results.
To introduce students to a classic entomological story.

Keywords

Aggressive mimicry; firefly flashing; femme fatale firefly; Lampyridae; Photuris; Photinus; lucibufagin; insect; animal behavior; entomology; predator; predation; experimental design

Subject Headings

Biology (General)

Ecology

Zoology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

Scientific method

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted, Journal Article

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching Notes

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Answer Key

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Materials & Media

Supplemental Materials

Instructors may wish to make use of the optional supplemental material below.

So Flashy: The Chemistry Behind a Firefly's Glow

Videos

In a Flash: Firefly Communication
Fireflies communicate with a "language of light" that scientists still don’t completely understand. In this video, James Lloyd and Marc Branham of the University of Florida, Gainesville, discuss unique flash patterns and times for some of the 2,000 types of fireflies that light up the summer nights. Created by Science Friday. Produced by Emily V. Driscoll. Running Time: 4:32 min. Date: July 3, 2014.