California Glowworm

Ellychnia californica

Classification

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Ellychnia californica: /ɛˈlɪk.ni.ə ˌkælɪˈfɔr.nɪ.kə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Ellychnia californica-3 by Eugene Zelenko. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Ellychnia Californica larvae by Jezra upon daspin seo. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Ellychnia californica-1 by Eugene Zelenko. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Ellychnia californica-2 by Eugene Zelenko. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Summary

Ellychnia californica, known as the California glowworm or western firefly, is a species of firefly in the beetle family Lampyridae, found in North America.

Physical Characteristics

10.5‒16 mm in length; sides of median black area of pronotum straight, diverging from apex to base, with a small antebasal lobe extending into roseate area.

Identification Tips

In the sympatric Ellychnia megista, the black area is subparallel to the base and slightly widens without an antebasal lobe.

Habitat

Moist habitats, often found on flowers and grassy vegetation.

Distribution

Throughout California, more common from Sacramento to San Bernardino Mountains.

Tags

  • California glowworm
  • firefly
  • Lampyridae
  • beetle
  • Coleoptera