Blue Mountains Firefly vs Water-lily Reed Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue Mountains Firefly Water-lily Reed Beetle
Scientific Name Atyphella flammulans Donacia simplex
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lampyridae Chrysomelidae
Size 7-10 mm 7-9 mm
Habitat Forests Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Oceania, Australia Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blue Mountains Firefly

An Australian firefly found in cool temperate rainforests, producing a steady greenish glow. It has a dark body and is most active on warm, humid nights after rain.

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Did You Know?

Firefly-watching tours in the Blue Mountains and Springbrook National Park have introduced Australians to their native luminous beetles.

Water-lily Reed Beetle

A metallic coppery-bronze aquatic beetle with longitudinal ridges on the elytra. Adults sit on floating leaves of pondweeds and bur-reeds in still or slow-flowing water.

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Did You Know?

Larvae construct a silken cocoon underwater attached to plant roots, filling it with air obtained from the plant's tissues for pupation.