Pyractomena ecostata
(LeConte, 1878)
Keel-necked firefly
Pyractomena ecostata, the keel-necked firefly, is an endangered firefly to the United States with a highly disjunct distribution. It occurs in two widely separated coastal regions: the Mobile Bay area of Alabama east through peninsular Florida, and saltmarshes surrounding Delaware Bay and Cape May in Delaware and New Jersey. This species is restricted to brackish , particularly those receiving saltwater intrusion, and severe threats from coastal development, sea level rise, vegetation, and light pollution.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Pyractomena ecostata: //ˌpaɪ.rækˈtoʊ.miː.nə ˌɛk.oʊˈstɑː.tə//
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Identification
Pyractomena ecostata is a distinctive within its and would be easily detected by observers familiar with fireflies; its specific diagnostic characters are not detailed in available sources, but its specificity in brackish coastal marshes serves as a key identifying feature in conjunction with its geographic distribution.
Habitat
Brackish receiving saltwater intrusion, including black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) marshland in Florida and margins of coastal meadows in New Jersey; also detected in wet pastures along highways in Florida, indicating saltwater intrusion is not strictly necessary for survival.
Distribution
to the United States with a disjunct distribution in two widely separated coastal regions: (1) Mobile Bay region of Alabama east through most of peninsular Florida, and (2) saltmarshes surrounding Delaware Bay and Cape May in Delaware and New Jersey. The distribution is considered real rather than an artifact of selective sampling. The may be a relict whose current range resulted from marine transgression following the Last Glacial Maximum.
Human Relevance
The is endangered and multiple anthropogenic threats. Unsustainable coastal development has destroyed saltmarsh in Florida. Sea level rise poses an existential threat if global temperatures rise more than 4°C above pre-industrial levels. Invasion of wetlands by common reed (Phragmites australis) and light pollution are additional significant threats. The species has no known direct economic or cultural uses.
More Details
Conservation status
Endangered; listed as imperiled due to loss and climate change vulnerability
Historical biogeography
May have had a much wider distribution along the Atlantic coast prior to the Last Glacial Maximum, with current disjunct distribution resulting from post-glacial sea level rise
Habitat flexibility
Despite strong association with brackish , the has been documented in wet pastures without saltwater intrusion, suggesting some physiological range