Oh, the indignity!

This is the companion post to the one from three days ago, http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-06-22
This, of course, will be a male lightning bug (or firefly, in the Photinus genus of fireflies, which is the Lampyridae family of beetles).

Repeating the information from the previous post (taken from a BugGuide post, http://bugguide.net/node/view/300070/bgimage » “For Photinus and Pyractomena fireflies, it is easy to determine their gender by examining their light organs. A male Photinus can be identified by the last two light sections on his abdomen, while a female has her light organ on the second-to-last segment.” … “Makes sense, as males are the more ‘expendable’ gender, so if their bright lights draw the attention of predators, no big deal. Females give more subtle flashes to protect their investment in their developing eggs.”

Clearly, this is a male, whose light organ is on the last two segments of his abdomen.

1 year ago (“First butterfly in our garden!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-06-25
2 years ago (“Snowberry Clearwing”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-06-25
3 years ago (“At the flower show…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-06-25

Taxonomy:
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
» Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
»» Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
»»» Class Insecta (Insects)
»»»» Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
»»»»» Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
»»»»»» Superfamily Elateroidea (Click, Firefly and Soldier Beetles)
»»»»»»» Family Lampyridae (Fireflies)
»»»»»»»» Subfamily Lampyrinae
»»»»»»»»» Tribe Photinini
»»»»»»»»»» Genus Photinus

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25th June 2014 25th Jun 14