On research and entomological, education IV: Quantifying mate search in a perfect insect - Seeking true facts and insight (Coleoptera : Lampyridae, Photinus)

Male Photinus collustrans LeConte fireflies fly over their grassland habita ts flashing and seeking their flightless females. I followed individual mal es, measured, and took note of various aspects of their behavior. Then, fro m a sample of 255 male runs, with a total distance of 13.9 miles and 10,306 flashes, various sets of these males, those seemingly directed by other th an search flight-plans, were removed to leave a sample to characterize "pur e" search flight. Fireflies are good subjects for students to study foragin g ecology and sexual selection, and from studies of common grassland firefl ies it will be clear to students that even simple behavior by males of a si ngle species, under seemingly uncomplicated and homogeneous conditions, can be complex, but provide opportunity for theoretical and empirical explorat ion. Among factors identified here as influencing male mate-seeking behavio r were ambient temperature, ambient light level, and time of night. Other i nfluencing factors, enigmas, and student explorations are indicated.