After spending time researching this in my insect books, I found that this is a Ellychnia corrusca, or Winter Firefly.  Wow!  A firefly!  I was instantly excited.  Unfortunately this particular firefly cannot emit light in the adult stage – just when it is a larva.

I accidentally tipped it over while moving it and it seemed content to lay there for a bit.

Isn’t it cute?! These little guys feed on flowers and sweet sap.  They are generally not pests, though can be if you tap trees for sap.  Unlike other fireflies, this type is active during the day – though this one certainly didn’t seem very active.  Here’s a closer shot of it.

Unfortunately Windows Live Writer does not let me rotate shots from Flickr – but if you follow the link to the Flickr image I rotated it and it kind of looks like some alien overlord from a science fiction movie – you be the judge.

After reading this article, perhaps the reason it didn’t move much was it was overwintering?  Adult winter fireflies overwinter in the bark of trees, though I found this one under some leaf litter.  However the site does mention that there likely exist several species and that this beetle needs to be studied more.  The beetles mentioned as overwintering in trees were in Massachusetts – so perhaps the ones on this coast overwinter on the ground – at least until mean photographers wake them up…

Here’s a final shot of it lumbering on the grass, most likely hoping to escape this crazed photographer.

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