Ecology of Colors of Firefly Bioluminescence
- 31 October 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 210 (4469) , 560-562
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.210.4469.560
Abstract
Dark-active North American fireflies emit green bioluminescence and dusk-active species emit yellow, in general. Yellow light and yellow visual spectral sensitivity may be adaptations to increase the signal-to-noise (that is, foliage-reflected ambient light) ratio for sexual signaling during twilight. The peaks of the electroretinogram visual spectral sensitivities of four species tested, two dark- and two dusk-active, correspond with the peak of their bioluminescent emissions.Keywords
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