Pyrophile

Pyrophiles usually occur alongside and co-evolve with pyrophytes, the plant analog of a pyrophilic insect - those plants which rely upon natural fires as part of their lifecycle.

Highly sensitive infrared receptors are thought to have evolved independently in at least four different groups of insects.

[1] Little is known about the ecological interactions and consequences of pyrophilic insects, though they are known mostly amongst flies and beetles.

[2] Flies of the genus Microsania are some of the most numerous and well-described pryophilic insects.

Various theories explain these fire-loving adaptations as owing to the weakening of the host plant, the sterilization of the medium into which the eggs are laid, or the elimination of competitive or predatory organisms.