Smokies Synchronous Firefly vs Scotch Argus

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Smokies Synchronous Firefly Scotch Argus
Scientific Name Photinus macdermotti Erebia aethiops
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lampyridae Nymphalidae
Size 9-12 mm 40-48 mm wingspan
Habitat Mountains Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Smokies Synchronous Firefly

A firefly found in the central Appalachian region that produces slow, deliberate flashes. It is closely related to the famous synchronous fireflies.

💡

Did You Know?

DNA studies have revealed that many seemingly identical firefly species are actually distinct, hidden by their reliance on flash patterns rather than appearance.

Scotch Argus

A dark brown butterfly with russet-orange bands containing eyespots, found in northern grasslands and light woodland. It flies in a bouncing manner close to the ground.

💡

Did You Know?

In Britain, it is confined to Scotland and a single colony in the Lake District surviving since the last ice age.