Science. 1980 Nov 7;210(4470):669-71. doi: 10.1126/science.210.4470.669.
Photuris males emit flashed signals matching those of unrelated sympatric forms (Photinus and Pyractomena species). Some have only one flash pattern matching that of another species, others mimic at least two species, as well as emitting "their own" species-specific pattern. They tend to restrict the mimicking signals, but not their own, to the habitats, seasons, and daily periods of the mimicked species. Since Photuris females prey on males of other firefly species by mimicking their females' flashes, the Photuris males may be using their mimicry to locate and seduce their own hunting females. This mimicry is without known parallel in other animal communicative systems. It explains why the genus Photuris has been a frustrating mystery to taxonomists, who have long used flash patterns to distinguish sibling species in other genera.
雄萤发出与非相关同域种（Photinus 和 Pyractomena 种）相匹配的闪光信号。有些种只有一种与另一种种相匹配的闪光模式，有些种则模仿至少两种种，同时也发出“自己的”种特异性模式。它们倾向于将模仿信号（但不是自己的信号）限制在被模仿种的栖息地、季节和日常时间段内。由于 Photuris 雌性通过模仿其他萤火虫雄性的闪光来捕食雄性，因此 Photuris 雄性可能会利用它们的模仿来定位和引诱自己的狩猎雌性。这种模仿在其他动物通讯系统中没有已知的类似情况。这解释了为什么 Photuris 属一直是分类学家的一个令人沮丧的谜，因为他们长期以来一直使用闪光模式来区分其他属中的姐妹种。
