They have two luminescent spots at the posterior corners of the pronotum, and another brighter light organ on the most-anterior surface of the ventral abdomen.

Bioluminescent click beetles are found throughout tropical, subtropical and temperate America.

Species from Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Cuba are now in different genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, such as Deilelater and Ignelater.

They grow slowly and pupate after an uncertain period of time, but perhaps several years after hatching.

Pyrophorus nyctophanus larvae live in tunnels in the outer layers of termite mounds on the cerrado of Brazil.