Extinguished or overlooked? An examination of lost firefly species of the US and Canada

Abstract

Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are iconic indicators of ecosystem health, yet a significant number of North American species face an uncertain future due to increasing threats from habitat loss, light pollution, climate change, and pesticide use. While the most recent assessments have shed light on the conservation status of some US and Canadian species, a considerable knowledge gap remains for 69 species that are categorized as Data Deficient and a further 48 species that have yet to be evaluated. A number of these have not been reported in many years. This paper investigates 28 firefly species native to the United States and Canada to which we assign the status of ‘lost.’ Herein, we define ‘lost species’ as those with no confirmed observation record within the past decade. Our findings suggest that the lack of recent records is likely due to several factors, including insufficient survey efforts, inadequate identification keys, complex taxonomy, difficulty accessing collections to examine unpublished specimen holdings, and population declines due to environmental stressors. This study underscores an urgent need for targeted field surveys, taxonomic revisions, and updated species keys, as well as expert review and digitization of existing collections; increased funding to support each of these efforts is particularly critical. Furthermore, our findings raise concerns about potential extirpations or even extinctions of some species. In this review, we highlight critical information gaps and rediscovery strategies, profile twelve species that have been successfully rediscovered, and put forward a call to action for researchers, land managers, community scientists, and the broader public to help contribute to the understanding and preservation of a lost and imperiled firefly fauna.