Pennsylvania Firefly vs Tanner Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pennsylvania Firefly Tanner Beetle
Scientific Name Photuris pennsylvanica Prionus coriarius
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lampyridae Cerambycidae
Size 10-15 mm 18-45 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Predators Root Feeders
Regions Eastern North America from Canada to Georgia Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pennsylvania Firefly

A common firefly of the eastern United States that produces a green-yellow bioluminescent flash. Adults are soft-bodied with a dark pronotum edged in pink.

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Did You Know?

Females mimic the flash patterns of other firefly species to lure males as prey, earning them the name femme fatale fireflies.

Tanner Beetle

A large, robust, dark brown longhorn beetle that flies noisily at dusk. Its powerful larvae bore into the roots of deciduous trees for up to four years.

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Did You Know?

Males produce a squeaking sound by rubbing their thorax against their head when handled.