# Black Firefly

*Lucidota atra*

Unlike their famous nocturnal cousins, adult Black Fireflies do not light up to find mates; instead, they navigate the daylight using sensitive, fan-like antennae to detect pheromones.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Lampyridae › Lucidota
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous forests, forest edges, and shaded moist woodlands.
- **Diet:** Larvae prey on snails, slugs, and earthworms; adults feed on nectar, plant sap, or do not feed at all.
- **Range:** Eastern North America, United States, Canada
- **Size:** 8 to 11 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 years (mostly spent as larvae, adults live only a few weeks)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss, leaf-litter removal, and pesticide use.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans as they do not sting or bite. You can safely observe them at any distance. If handled, wash your hands afterward, as they can secrete a bitter, defensive fluid that may irritate your eyes if rubbed.

## About

Lucidota atra , the black firefly , is a species of firefly in the family of beetles known as Lampyridae. It is found in Central America and North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/7bbd3c30-72a6-45dd-92e7-160e5551c855
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/224157
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucidota atra
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/8699197/medium.jpg (Katja Schulz, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.