Photinini

Taxobox
name = will


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Adult "Photinus" sp. specimens collection
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota
ordo = Coleoptera
subordo = Polyphaga
infraordo = Elateriformia
superfamilia = Elateroidea
familia = Lampyridae
subfamilia = Lampyrinae
tribus = Photinini
tribus_authority =
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = Many, see text

The Photinini are a large tribe of fireflies in the subfamily Lampyrinae. "Photinus pyralis" is famous in biotechnology for its luciferase gene. This is sometimes employed as a marker gene; genetically modified organisms which contain it start to glow like the firefly when brought in contact with luciferin-containing medium. Firefly luciferases differ slightly between taxa, resulting in differently-colored light and other properties, and in most cases where "firefly luciferase" is used in some application or study, it is the specific luciferase of "P. pyralis"

ystematics

The delimitation and relationships of the many genera are often insufficiently resolved. For example, "Lamprohiza" and "Phausis" as presently delimited are apparently paraphyletic in respect to each other. The Phosphaenini, containing "Phosphaenus" and some other genera from the Holarctic, might indeed be a tribe distinct from the main North American lineage of Photinini, as was once proposed. "Phausis" may be even more distinct.Stanger-Hall "et al." (2007)] .

Among the Lampyrinae, the "Phosphaenus" group seems to occupy an even more basal position than the ancient and probably unrelated lineages assembled in the Cratomorphini (a possibly invalid group); most do not produce any light and rely on pheromone communication instead, though "Lamprohiza" produces a continuous glowing light. The "Photinus" group, on the other hand, contains flashing "lightning bugs" and some who have lost the ability to produce light signals, and is apparently much closer related to the advanced Lampyrini.

elected genera

Photinini "sensu stricto":
* "Ellychnia" Blanchard, 1845
* "Photinus" Laporte, 1833 – rover fireflies
* "Pyropyga" Motschulsky, 1852

Possibly separable as Phosphaenini:
* "Lamprohiza"
* "Lucidota" Laporte, 1833
* "Phosphaenus" Laporte, 1833
* "Phosphaenopterus"The puzzling genus "Lucidina" might also belong here.

"Incertae sedis:"
* "Phausis"

Footnotes

References

* (2007): Phylogeny of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Implications for the evolution of light signals. "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 45(1): 33-49. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.013 (HTML abstract)