Four firefly species threatened with extinction, experts say

KUALA LUMPUR: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Firefly Specialist Group has identified four congregating firefly species, threatened with extinction.

In a joint statement today, the group discovered the matter after assessing the status of four congregating firefly species using the IUCN Red List criteria.

The Comtesse’s firefly (Pteroptyx bearni), the Synchronous bent-wing firefly (Pteroptyx malaccae), the Perfect synchronous flashing firefly (Pteroptyx tener), and the Non-synchronous bent-winged firefly (Pteroptyx valida) are all deemed ‘vulnerable’ status, it said.

It said in South-East Asia, the most spectacular of all flashing displays is the near-to-perfect synchronous flashing of fireflies from the genus Pteroptyx, generally known as “congregating fireflies”.

The statement was released by Monash University Malaysia, IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Firefly Specialist Group and the Global Center for Species Survival.

It noted the main threats to congregating fireflies in South-East Asia include habitat loss and degradation, light pollution, climate change and entomo (insect)-tourist activities.

Thus, it said to combat the threats, it is imperative to incorporate fireflies into a management action plan to minimise the impact of mangrove habitat loss and degradation.

“Efforts to reduce light pollution in firefly habitats can be made by implementing lighting regulations or simply by turning off the light when it is not in use.

“Climate change impacts on firefly habitats can be addressed through broader environmental initiatives and regulating and monitoring entomo-tourist activities can help minimise negative impacts on firefly populations,” it added.

Meanwhile, IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group Co-chair Dr Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh said only one per cent of the total known species in South-East Asia had been assessed.

Alarmingly, all of them are at risk of extinction in the near future.

“This should serve as a wake-up call. We need to continue assessing the remaining firefly species in order to better plan for their conservation,” said Dr Wan Faridah who is also Senior Lecturer at Monash University Malaysia.

Over 2,200 firefly species have been described globally, with South-East Asia and the Indo-Pacific region alone hosting at least 400 of these amazing beetles.- Bernama