Spring Firefly vs Willow Calligrapha

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spring Firefly Willow Calligrapha
Scientific Name Photinus ardens Calligrapha multipunctata bigsbyana
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lampyridae Chrysomelidae
Size 5-8 mm 7-9 mm
Habitat Woodlands Wetlands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions North America 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.

Willow Calligrapha

A subspecies of Calligrapha with pale elytra marked with elongated dark spots and dashes. It is associated with willow trees along waterways in North America.

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Did You Know?

Calligrapha beetles are a model system for studying pattern formation in biology, as no two individuals share the same elytral markings.