Spring Firefly vs Red Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spring Firefly Red Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Photinus ardens Platydracus maculosus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lampyridae Staphylinidae
Size 5-8 mm 15-22 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spring Firefly

A small early-season firefly of the eastern United States with a distinctive fast double-pulse flash pattern. It has a dark body with a pinkish-red pronotum and is among the first fireflies to appear each year.

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Did You Know?

This species often begins flashing earlier in the evening than most other North American fireflies.

Red Rove Beetle

A large, brightly marked rove beetle with reddish elytra spotted with dark markings and a densely pubescent thorax. It is one of the most colorful North American staphylinids.

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Did You Know?

This beetle can produce audible stridulatory sounds by rubbing specialized structures on its abdomen against the underside of the elytra.