Scalloped Hook-tip vs Chinese Aquatic Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scalloped Hook-tip Chinese Aquatic Firefly
Scientific Name Falcaria lacertinaria Aquatica ficta
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Drepanidae Lampyridae
Size 30-38 mm wingspan 8-12 mm
Habitat Heathland Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia, Japan China
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Scalloped Hook-tip

A small moth with strongly curved wingtips and scalloped wing margins that rests resembling a dead leaf. Its mottled brown and grey colouring completes the disguise.

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Did You Know?

The hooked wing tips are unique among moth families and give the Drepanidae their alternative name, hook-tips.

Chinese Aquatic Firefly

A firefly with fully aquatic larvae found in streams across southern China. It was the first species placed in the genus Aquatica, erected specifically for water-dwelling lampyrids.

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Did You Know?

Larvae breathe underwater using specialized tracheal gills unique among fireflies.