Phausis reticulata
Phausis reticulata, commonly referred to as the blue ghost is a species of firefly found in the eastern and central United States. The species is common in the southern Appalachians, and can be seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as North Carolina's DuPont State Forest, the Pisgah National Forest, and the Green River Gamelands in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania Counties.
Description
P. reticulata is a tiny to medium-sized beetle. The males of this all-brown species are about long, have a short second antennomere as well as large eyes. Unlike many firefly species found in the eastern and central United States, P. reticulata males display a steady glow, instead of a species-specific flashing pattern. The light emitted by "blue ghost" fireflies appears to the human eye as blueish-white when observed at night from a distance, but bright green when examined at close range. This discrepancy in the observed color may be due to the Purkinje effect. Males are capable of controlling each light segment independently and can vary the intensity of their glow.Female blue ghosts are wingless, unable to fly, and they are yellow and paedomorphic, remaining in larval form through adulthood. They are also tiny, measuring only about long.