These insects are beetles, not plant bugs or flies, as the common names suggest. They are medium-sized, black, with red or yellow markings, especially behind the head. The wing-covers are rectangular, while the posterior of the abdomen usually has a light-emitting organ. Lightning Bugs are often observed shortly after dusk, when they emit a yellow or greenish-yellow blinking light to attract members of the opposite sex. Both adults and larvae prey upon small, soft-bodied insects, but the former sometimes appear on flowers, where they seek nectar or feed on pollen.
 
See: Abbreviations for Insect Activities,   Abbreviations for Scientific Observers,   References for behavioral observations