Lampyridae (Coleoptera) do sul da Mata Atlântica: uma lista preliminar das espécies de vaga-lumes da região sudoeste do Paraná

Abstract

The family Lampyridae Rafinesque, 1815, belongs to the order Coleoptera, the most diverse among insects. Lampyridae includes beetles with a flattened pronotum covering much of the head, commonly known as fireflies, which exhibit bioluminescence used for sexual communication and aposematism. The family comprises 12 subfamilies, of which 5 occur in Brazil, with Lampyrinae being the most representative. However, current knowledge about firefly diversity and distribution is limited in several regions, including southwestern Paraná, which has been undergoing intense urbanization and transformation of natural environments. This study aims to document the Lampyridae species occurring in forest fragments in southwestern Paraná, contributing to the understanding of local, regional, and national biodiversity. We analyze specimens deposited in the Coleção Entomológica UFFS-RE, material collected with Malaise traps and active sampling, comprising samples from eight municipalities in the region. We found 24 morphospecies, belonging to three subfamilies: Amydetinae, Lampyrinae and Photurinae, recorded in eight municipalities in southwestern Paraná. Five morphospecies are potential new species to science. A potential case of color polymorphism is also recorded in a species of Ethra that has not yet been identified. This is the first study to investigate the Lampyridae species of southwestern Paraná, expanding known occurrence and distribution data for Atlantic Forest species and providing a basis for future research.