Steady-state and time-resolved bioluminescence of the firefly Asymmetricata circumdata (Motschulsky)

After Luciola praeusta Kiesenwetter 1874, Asymmetricata circumdata (Motschulsky) is the second Indian species of firefly identified recently. Here we present steady-state and time-resolved measurements of bioluminescence emissions of male specimens of this new-found species. Steady-state spectra recorded in a high-resolution spectrometer show the peak wavelength at 570 nm, while the same on a colour film in a glass spectrograph show the peak at 579 nm between green and red bands, which prompts speculation that a sharp, laser-like line might exist in the emission spectrum of this species just as the one in L. praeusta. The diffraction pattern produced by a grating consolidates this proposition. Flashes recorded in an oscilloscope reveal the appearance of a small pulse in combination with the main one, which becomes prominent both at low and high temperatures.