Lampyridae Latreille, 1817
head concealed from above by flattened pronotum; pronotum nearly as wide as elytra. Elytra loosely covering body, with nearly parallel sides and rounded ends. Females sometimes short-winged or wingless; these larviform females are often distinguished from larvae by the presence of comound eyes. Body soft and flattened. Antennae threadlike to saw-toothed. Tarsi 5-5-5.
This family is well known for its bioluminiscent species; all larvae and most adults produce light. Often 1 or 2 last abdominal segments are luminiscent. Bioiluminiscence is used to attract prey or a mate (in adults), or as a warning signal for predator (in larvae) as most firefly larvae are quite distasteful and even poisonous to predators. Each species have a unique frequency of flashes in order to recognize its own species when it comes to mating. some females became capable of attracting other males by answering to flashes of different male species and subsequently eat them. most of the fireflies are active during the night. however, there are some day-active species which do not flash or have weakly developed flash organs. usually, only males fly and females rest on vegetation and glow to attract males. Larvae feed on other insects, larvae, snails, and slugs; some adults are predatory, while others are plant-eaters. species typically breed in damp areas around water.