The Photinini are a large
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
of
fireflies
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
in the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
Lampyrinae
The Lampyrinae are a large subfamily of fireflies ( Lampyridae). The exact delimitation, and the internal systematics, have until recently been a matter of debate; for long this group was used as a " wastebin taxon" to hold any fireflies with ins ...
. ''
Photinus pyralis'' is famous in
biotechnology
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
for its
luciferase
Luciferase is a generic term for the class of oxidative enzymes that produce bioluminescence, and is usually distinguished from a photoprotein. The name was first used by Raphaël Dubois who invented the words ''luciferin'' and ''luciferase'' ...
gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
. This is sometimes employed as a
marker gene
In biology, a marker gene may have several meanings. In nuclear biology and molecular biology, a marker gene is a gene used to determine if a nucleic acid sequence has been successfully inserted into an organism's DNA. In particular, there are tw ...
;
genetically modified organisms
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...
which contain it start to
glow like the firefly when brought in contact with a
luciferin
Luciferin () is a generic term for the light-emitting chemical compound, compound found in organisms that generate bioluminescence. Luciferins typically undergo an enzyme-catalyzed reaction with Oxygen, molecular oxygen. The resulting transforma ...
-containing medium. Firefly luciferases differ slightly between
taxa
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...
, 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''.
Systematics
The group has recently been examined using molecular phylogenetics, using fairly comprehensive sampling.
Genera
* ''
Ankonophallus''
Zaragoza-Caballero & Navarrete-Heredia, 2014
* ''
Aorphallus''
Zaragoza-Caballero & Gutierrez-Carranza, 2018
* ''
Callopisma''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Calotrechelum''
Pic, 1930
* ''
Dadophora''
Olivier, 1907
* ''
Dilychnia''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Ellychnia
''Ellychnia'' is a genus of firefly, fireflies. First defined by Émile Blanchard in 1845, the genus contains 24 species, which are widespread in the United States. Adults are black, with rose-colored marks on the pronotum; sexual dimorphism is ...
''
LeConte, 1851
* ''
Erythrolychnia''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Heterophotinus''
Olivier, 1894
* ''
Jamphotus''
Barber, 1941
* ''
Lucidina''
Gorham, 1883
* ''
Lucidota''
Laporte, 1833
* ''
Lucidotopsis''
McDermott, 1960
* ''
Luciuranus''
Silveira, Khattar & Mermudes, 2016
* ''
Macrolampis''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Microdiphot''
Barber, 1941
* ''
Mimophotinus''
Pic, 1935
* ''
Oliviereus''
Pic, 1930
* ''
Phosphaenopterus''
Schaufuss, 1870
* ''
Phosphaenus''
Fourcroy, 1785
* ''
Photinoides''
McDermott, 1963
* ''
Photinus
Photinus (Greek: Φωτεινός; died 376) was a Christian bishop of Sirmium in Pannonia Secunda (today the town Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia), best known for denying the incarnation of Christ, thus being considered a heresiarch by both the Ca ...
''
Laporte, 1833 – rover fireflies
The rover fireflies (''Photinus'') are a genus of fireflies (family Lampyridae). They are the type genus of tribe Photinini in subfamily Lampyrinae. This genus contains, for example, the common eastern firefly (''P. pyralis''), the most commo ...
(possibly paraphyletic
Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
)
* ''
Platylampis''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Pseudolychnuris''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Pyropyga''
Motschulsky, 1852
* ''
Pyropygodes''
Zaragoza-Caballero, 2000
* ''
Robopus''
Motschulsky, 1853
* ''
Rufolychnia''
Kazantsev, 2006
* ''
Uanauna''
Campello-Gonçalves, Souto, Mermudes & Silviera, 2019
* ''
Ybytyramoan''
Silveira & Mermudes, 2014
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7187628
Lampyridae
Beetle tribes