Plate 056 · male in flight over grass IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Shield-like pronotum that hides the head from above.
- 2Pale, translucent margins around a reddish central patch.
- 3Brown wing cases with a pale edge and a pale line.
- 4Membranous wings spread in flight beneath the wing cases.
- 5Yellow-green lantern on the last abdominal segments.
- 6Long antennae slightly flattened.
Easily confused with Spotted fireflyAspisoma sticticumWing cases with pale dots instead of lines. More common in the Paraná region. 056 / 100 · INVERTEBRATES · LAMPYRIDAENOT EVALUATED Lined firefly
Aspisoma lineatum
Luciérnaga · Lightning bug
A large, flattened firefly that adapts well to gardens, parks and town edges. In Tucumán it has been photographed in San Miguel de Tucumán, at the foot of the Yungas. Its larvae hunt snails.
- Flashes
- c. every 2 s
- Altitude
- c. 400 – 700 m
- Life cycle
- c. 6 months
- Larvae
- hunt snails
- Bioluminescent
- Nocturnal
- Predatory larva
- Tolerates towns
Altitude rangeAt the foot of the sierra
Records in Tucumán The confirmed Tucumán record comes from San Miguel de Tucumán, at about 450 m. Other, unidentified Aspisoma have been seen in Yerba Buena. Its upper limit in the province is unknown.
FoodA snail-hunting larva
- Land snailsprey of the larvae
- Damp leaf litterwhere the larvae hunt
- Moist groundfor eggs and larvae
In captivity the larvae fed on snails from hatching. It is not well known whether the adult feeds.
BehaviourLight signals at night
J F M A M J J A S O N D Adults flashingStart of the season - Courtship flashes. The male flies and flashes about every two seconds; the female answers from the vegetation.
- Active at dusk. By day it hides in grass and leaves.
- Long larva, short adult. Most of the cycle is spent as a larva on the ground. In captivity it lasts 2 to 6 months.
Where to look in Tucumán- San Miguel de Tucumán (parques)
- Yerba Buena
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle