TUESDAY TRIVIA: What Is the Scientific Name for Lightening Bugs?

Catching lightening bugs—or as some call them, fireflies—is a common pastime for children during the summer.

What is the scientific name for lightening bugs?

Fireflies and lightning bugs are the same insect, and they are beetles. They are nocturnal members of the Lampyridae, pronounced lam pirəˌdē, family of beetles. The name comes from the Greek “lampein,” which means to shine.

Although more than 2,000 species bear the name “firefly,” not all fireflies glow. Those that do mix oxygen with a pigment called luciferin to generate light with very little heat.

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