firefly
Any beetle of the family Lampyridae, which exhibit bioluminescence during twilight.
Noun
- Any beetle of the family Lampyridae, which exhibit bioluminescence during twilight.
- 2000, Exploring Life Science, 2: Bats—Cave Life, Marshall Cavendish, page 96, Fireflies are the best-known insects that produce light. […] Many fireflies use their light to communicate, particularly at mating time when...
- The luciferins are different in different species and today both the luciferin and luciferase in the firefly are available in the crystalline form. - 2004, B. V. David, T. N. Ananthakrishnan, “Chapter 20:...
- Various other luciferase genes, especially the firefly luciferase gene, are also used for the study of gene regulation.[…]The classic use of bioluminescence, however, is the use of a luciferin-luciferase mixture from...
Synonyms: lightning beetle lightning bug glow fly
Origin
Endocentric compound of fire + fly, because the insects glow; whence also lightning bug. Compare glow fly, glowworm, and lanternfly. Compare typologically Ancient Greek λαμπυρίς (lampurís, “glowworm”) (<+ πῦρ (pûr)).