Cratomorphini

Cratomorphini
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Lampyridae
Subfamily:	Lampyrinae
Tribe:	Cratomorphini
Genera
	Several, see text

The Cratomorphini are a disputed tribe of fireflies of the large subfamily Lampyrinae. The genera placed here often contain well-sized members of their family. The larvae of many species climb trees to feed on snails. This group contains a few "lightning bugs" (flashing fireflies) from North America, e.g. the genus Pyractomena. Further south in the American tropics, Aspisoma can be found, but this is very doubtfully placed here.^[1]

This is apparently a paraphyletic group, assembling ancient lineages of the Lampyrinae. The eventual fate of this group is not known; pending resolution of the affinities of the type genus , it might be disassembled or persist without some genera which are closer to other tribes.^[1]

Selected genera[]

Aspisoma Laporte, 1833 (might belong in Lampyrini)
Micronaspis Green, 1948
Pyractomena LeConte, 1845

References[]

^ ^a ^b Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Lloyd, James E. & Hillis, David M. (2007): Phylogeny of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Implications for the evolution of light signals. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 45(1): 33-49. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.013 PMID 17644427 PDF fulltext

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[stangerhalletal2007-1] Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Lloyd, James E. & Hillis, David M. (2007): Phylogeny of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Implications for the evolution of light signals. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 45(1): 33-49. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.013 PMID 17644427 PDF fulltext

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