萤火虫!关于萤火虫你不知道的6件事

Fireflies are at their most dazzling on a summer evening. (Photo: Thanatip S./Shutterstock)

There are many wonders to behold in the animal world, but few offer such enchantment as that of a summer evening punctuated with the twinkle of fireflies. It's a singular experience, like handfuls of Lilliputian stars tossed from the sky, falling to flit and hover among the grass and brambles. But behind their charming facade, fireflies are fascinating little insects. Consider the following facts:

动物世界有许多奇观可看，但很少有像夏夜被萤火虫的闪光所吸引。这是一种奇特的体验，就像一把把小人国的星星从天空中抛下，落在草地和荆棘之间，又飞又停。但在它们迷人的外表下，萤火虫是迷人的小昆虫。考虑以下事实:

1.They are beetles, not flies

它们是甲虫，不是苍蝇

Fireflies are nocturnal members of Lampyridae, a family of insects within the beetle order Coleoptera, or winged beetles. Yes, they are officially beetles. But we’re OK with the misnomer; And bonus fact: the family name, Lampyridae comes from the Greek "lampein," meaning to shine … just like a lamp.

萤火虫是夜间活动的Lampyridae的成员，Lampyridae是甲虫目鞘翅目昆虫的一个科，也叫有翅甲虫。是的，它们是真正的甲虫。但是我们可以接受这个错误的称呼;还有一个额外的事实:Lampyridae这个姓氏来自希腊语“lampein”，意思是发光……就像一盏灯。

2.They are alchemists, poetically speaking at least

它们是炼金术士，至少在诗歌上是这样

While they don’t actually turn base metals into gold, they do create light as if by magic. When a chemical called luciferin (note the same Latin root as Lucifer) inside their abdomen/tail combines with oxygen, calcium and adenosine triphosphate, a chemical reaction occurs that creates their spectacular light.

虽然它们实际上并没有把普通金属变成黄金，但它们确实像变魔术一样创造了光。当一种叫做荧光素的化学物质(与荧光素的拉丁词根相同)在它们的腹部/尾部与氧气、钙和三磷酸腺苷结合时，就会发生一种化学反应，产生壮观的光。

Firefly light is incredibly efficient. (Photo: terry priest/flickr)

3.They come in a rainbow of colors

它们有彩虹般的颜色

Well maybe not the whole spectrum, but they do come in yellow, light red, green and orange.

也许不是所有的光谱，但是它们有黄色，浅红色，绿色和橙色。

4.They light up the underworld

它们照亮了地下世界

While it's true that many an insect larvae lives underground, firefly babes have them beat in the "neat tricks" department; some species emit a subterranean glow. Among some species, even the eggs glow. Bizarre, right?

虽然许多昆虫的幼虫生活在地下是事实，萤火虫宝宝在“巧妙的把戏”方面打败了它们;有些物种会发出一种地下光。在一些物种中，甚至蛋也会发光，很奇怪对吧?

Fireflies are simply elegant by day, but apparently, they are not very tasty. (Photo: wplynn/flickr)

5.Some are aquatic

有些生活在水中

And then there are the freaky fireflies whose larvae live in the water; they have gills and sup on aquatic snails, before inching their way to terra firma for their next phase in life.

还有一些奇怪的萤火虫，它们的幼虫生活在水中;它们有鳃，以水生蜗牛为食，然后缓慢地走向陆地，进入生命的下一个阶段。

6.They have strange diets

它们的饮食很奇怪

Contrary to the storybook image of cute bitsy baby fireflies nibbling on flowers, the underground-dwelling larvae of the lightning bug are carnivorous and feast on slimy slugs, worms and snails. Once they grow up, some move on to cannibalism and eat other fireflies, but most subsist on pollen and nectar (while some don’t eat anything at all during their short lifetimes).

与童话故事中可爱的小萤火虫啃花的形象相反，萤火虫幼虫是食肉动物，以黏糊糊的蛞蝓、蠕虫和蜗牛为食。一旦它们长大了，有些会继续同类相食，吃掉其他萤火虫，但大多数以花粉和花蜜为生(而有些则在它们短暂的一生中什么都不吃)。

Most fireflies live on pollen and nectar. (Photo: Courtney A Denning/Shutterstock)