Meet Aninipot! This is a Bisaya word for Firefly, but they are also known as Alitaptap (Tagalog), or Totonbalagon (Bicol)! 

They may be called “fireflies”, but they are obviously not on fire. But neither are they flies! They are winged beetles that use a chemical reaction to make light.

They are so cool, that even the light they emit is “cold light”: they don’t produce heat. Unlike a light bulb that emits light and heat using electricity, the Aninipot uses a chemical reaction in a “lantern” in its abdomen. Luciferase is an enzyme used by fireflies, certain bacteria, and plankton to emit light = also known as bioluminescence. 

This Aninipot is of the genus Pteroptyx, found along rivers and mangroves, where they help bolster eco-tourism from Bicol to Bohol.

Artprint on Society6: https://society6.com/product/firefly-in-bisaya-and-baybayin-pteroptyx-macdermotti_print