Evaluating firefly extinction risk: Initial red list assessments for North America.

Candace E Fallon,Cisteil X Pérez-Hernández,Lynn Faust,Joseph Cicero,Ben Pfeiffer,Anna C Walker,Sarina Jepsen,Sara Lewis,Christopher M Heckscher,Daniel De Paiva Silva

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259379

Abstract

Fireflies are a family of charismatic beetles known for their bioluminescent signals. Recent anecdotal reports suggest that firefly populations in North America may be in decline. However, prior to this work, no studies have undertaken a systematic compilation of geographic distribution, habitat specificity, and threats facing North American fireflies. To better understand their extinction risks, we conducted baseline assessments according to the categories and criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for 132 species from the United States and Canada (approximately 79% of described species in the region). We found at least 18 species (14%) are threatened with extinction (e.g. categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable) due to various pressures, including habitat loss, light pollution, and climate change (sea level rise and drought). In addition, more than half of the species (53%) could not be evaluated against the assessment criteria due to insufficient data, highlighting the need for further study. Future research and conservation efforts should prioritize monitoring and protecting populations of at-risk species, preserving and restoring habitat, gathering data on population trends, and filling critical information gaps for data deficient species suspected to be at risk.

Highlights

Effective conservation planning and action depends on identifying the most at-risk species based on their estimated probability of extinction
2% were categorized as Near Threatened (NT, n = 2) while 32% were classified as Least Concern (LC, n = 42)
Over half (53%) of assessed firefly species were categorized as Data Deficient (DD, n = 70), which means there remains considerable uncertainty in the proportion of North American fireflies that may be at risk of extinction

Summary

Introduction

Effective conservation planning and action depends on identifying the most at-risk species based on their estimated probability of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is considered the global standard for estimating the risk of species extinction and can be used as a first step in conservation efforts [1,2]. First established in 1964, major gains have been made in adding new assessments to the Red List in recent years, moving ever closer to the group’s goal of 160,000 assessed species.

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Conclusion