Flickering flash signals and mate recognition in the Asian firefly, Aquatica lateralis

Abstract

Nocturnal fireflies sometimes use intricate bioluminescent signal systems for sexual communication. In this study, we examined flash signals and mate recognition in the Asian firefly, Aquatica lateralis, under natural field conditions. We found that the flash pattern of females changes after copulation, from simple short flashes to flashes with longer duration and flickering. To understand the functions of flickering, we video-recorded and analyzed the flashes of sedentary males, receptive females, and mated females. The results showed that the flashes of these three adult phases can be discriminated from each other by two parameters, flash duration and flicker intensity, with little overlap. Male attraction experiments using an artificial LED device termed ‘e-firefly’ confirmed that flying and sedentary males are attracted to flashes with shorter durations and lower flicker intensities. The range of attraction success was much wider for flying males and narrower for sedentary males, and the latter was close to the range of receptive female’s flashes. These findings suggest that in addition to flash duration, flicker intensity is a flash signal parameter of mate recognition in A. lateralis males.