Chinese researchers have discovered a new species of luminous click beetles in southwest China, the first record of such insects in Asia.

Around 200 species of click beetles can glow. Some species, for instance, have two small bioluminescent light organs at the back of the head and one on the abdomen, giving the appearance of two "headlights" and one "backlight."

Before the discovery in China, luminous click beetles have only been recorded in Latin America and Oceania.

In 2017, researchers from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences found a species of luminous click beetles in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the first-ever recorded in Asia.

These click beetles have a single luminous organ on the abdomen and only glow when they take off to fly. They are the first species of luminous click beetles recorded in Asia.

According to the research paper published in Zookeys, based on the morphological study and genome analysis, the Chinese researchers concluded that the species of click beetles discovered in Yunnan is far from other luminescent click beetle groups, proposing to place them into a new subfamily within click beetles.

The researchers said their study provided additional evidence for the multiple origins of bioluminescence in click beetles.

Click beetles, also called Elateridae, get their name from the clicking sound they make when they are turned on their back and attempting to flip over. The family of click beetles is well diversified with more than 10,000 species worldwide. (Xinhua)