lampyrids in western US

[Robin Panza]

>I have heard repeatedly that there are NO fireflies in western US. I thought,
>
>Jorge A. Santiago-Blay

There are lampyrids in California, at least one of which is quite common.  I
have never seen a species that could glow as an adult, however, and that may
be why people think there are no fireflies.

I have only seen "glow-worms" once, at a beach in western Los Angeles County,
but the adults of _Ellychnia californica_ are common in the coast ranges, at
least from Santa Barbara to the San Francisco peninsula.

Robin Panza     (former Californian)            panzar at clp2.clpgh.org
Section of Birds
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Pittsburgh  PA  15213