Jewel Scarab vs West African Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Jewel Scarab West African Firefly
Scientific Name Chrysina resplendens Luciola lusitanica
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Lampyridae
Size 25-35 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Forests Ponds & Lakes
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Costa Rica, Panama West Africa (Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana)
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Jewel Scarab

A beetle that appears to be made of polished gold, found in cloud forests of Central America. Its reflective shell is composed of chiral nanostructures.

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Did You Know?

Its shell reflects circularly polarized light, a property almost unique in the animal kingdom.

West African Firefly

A small soft-bodied beetle that produces bioluminescent flashes to attract mates. Males fly and flash while females respond from vegetation. The light is produced by a chemical reaction involving luciferin and luciferase.

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Did You Know?

Firefly light is the most efficient light source in nature, with nearly 100% of the energy converted to light and almost no heat.