OHBA, N.; Yokosuka City Museum: Communication Systems of Japanese Fireflies

Japanese fireflies are known to range from nocturnal luminescent species to diurnal non-luminescent species. The communication systems of the fireflies are classified into 6 type as follows: 1) female responds to male�s flashes after a definite delay; 2) flying male is directly attracted by female�s species specific flash, then he perches near her and immediately changes his light signal; this male’s flashes are different from the female’s flashes; they use the differences in flash patterns to discriminate one another, then copulate; 3) male seeks female calling signal while the male flies and flashes synchronously; then the male approaches the female who is perching on a leaf and flashing non-synchronously; then, the male emits flashes with various patterns, and displays walking-luminescing, sedentary signaling, chasing, mounting, and copulating; 4) male is attracted by continuous luminescent signals of the female, and copulation behavior is released by her sex pheromone. 5) flying activity of male and female occurs in the daytime; when the male approaches the female, copulation is released by the female�s pheromone; weak luminescent signals may be fulfilling the function of supplementary communication signals; 6) luminescent signals have nothing to do with communication between male and female; copulation is released by sex pheromones only. The communication system of Japanese fireflies has been inferred and classified on the basis of the sexual isolation mechanism of the fireflies from the perspectives of their communication system, habitat, geographical distribution, adult seasonal occurrence, morphology, and function of their genitalia.