Current work

There are still puzzles to solve in the firefly world and not all can be solved by conventional taxonomy. 

Now I have the exciting potential to be able to collaborate with colleagues overseas using molecular technology. By combining their outputs with my taxonomic knowledge we are finding that many of the hardest puzzles are being answered. 

This relates especially to a number of firefly genera in China, including aquatic species. I was invited to contribute by Professor Xin Hua Fu of Huazhong University, one of the leading firefly researchers in China.

A recent project, as first author, included working on the famous Japanese Genji firefly with a number of colleagues, including Dr Wan Jusoh.

 With Dr Jusoh as lead investigator we are undertaking further work on Pteroptyx valida populations in Singapore, and we are assembling information about type specimens recently discovered in the Naturalis Museum in Leiden. 

As a result of a taxonomic workshop given in Bangalore India in March this year Dr Jusoh and I are preparing an ebook on all aspects of Luciolinae taxonomy.

But primarily I hope to be a source of information for anyone taking up working on fireflies, and especially the subfamily Luciolinae (the only  group of fireflies in Australia and the Pacific). That is the main reason for this existence of this website.

And here are connections to others who also work on the Luciolinae in SE Asia: 

Dr Wan Jusoh heritagespecies.wordpress.com in Malaysia

Dr Ming-Luen Jeng in Taiwan https://mantisjeng.wixsite.com/home

Vor Yiu in Hong Kong http://fireflies.hk/

A webinar about fireflies in India can be found here

I refer you to the section on So you want to work on Luciolinae fireflies?