Photinus macdermotti

Photinus macdermotti, or Father Mac's firefly or Mr. Mac, is a species of firefly in the family Lampyridae. It is found in North America.

Description
P. macdermotti is a medium-sized beetle, with adults that measure about 10 mm long. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a black, rectangular central mark bounded by red or pink. The wing covers, or elytra, are dark with well-defined, light-colored margins. The male has lanterns in segments 6 and 7 of its abdomen, and the female has only one lantern. It is nearly identical in appearance to Photinus consanguineus and Photinus greeni.

Life Cycle
Beetles such as P. macdermotti go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Photinus fireflies spend the majority of their lives as larvae, which are bioluminescent and likely live below the soil surface, eating snails, worms, and other soft-bodied invertebrates.

Behavior
Adult male P. macdermotti fireflies fly 0.3 - 1.2 m off the ground and flash to attract the attention of females. Their flash pattern consists of two quick pulses of light, with each pulse approximately 0.25 seconds in length, with a period of 2 seconds of darkness before the next set of 2 pulses at 70 F. A female responds with an answering flash from a perch on low vegetation. The male and female communicate in this way until the male finds the female and they mate.

Habitat
These fireflies can be found in both lower-elevation forests and higher-elevation river valleys and open forests.

Range
P. macdermotti is found in the eastern United States from Oklahoma to the west, Florida to the south, and New England to the north. It is also found in Ontario, Canada.