螢火蟲之所以引人注目就在於其美麗的螢光，而螢火蟲的螢光也是在生物發光中最常被討論的。
螢光是由發光器所產生，以往的研究已顯示氣管和神經對發光器的重要性，過去的研究已經經由電子顯微鏡觀察拍攝，獲得無數發光器中精細的超微構造圖片，但是這些圖片，並無法針對氣管與神經做直接的觀察，因此，我們利用免疫組織化學染色法（immunohistochemistry）處理邊褐端黑螢與台灣窗螢兩種螢火蟲發光器，並使用雷射掃描式共軛焦螢光顯微鏡（LSCM）觀察，以了解神經與氣管在發光器中空間分布之情形。
以往的文獻中昆蟲的氣管總是與肌肉一併被探討，認為昆蟲是利用肌肉收縮的方式強制氣體運輸以進行氣體交換，但是在我們的研究中，並無發現發光器中的氣管周圍有肌肉的分布，只觀察到在微氣管旁有神經末梢分布的情形，因此我們認為在發光器中是以神經直接給予氣管系統訊號來做發光所需之氣體調控。

The reason why fireflies is so attractive is about its beautiful bioluminescence. Firefly bioluminescence is widely discussed among kinds of bioluminescence.
Bioluminescence is generated by the particular organ of the fireflies named the lantern or light organ. Previous studies have shown that the tracheas and nerves are important to the Fireflies’ lantern. There are a lot of fine ultrastructure pictures of the Fireflies’ lantern taken by electron microscope. However, we can’t observe the nervous and trachea system directly from those pictures. So we use immunohistochemistry technique to process fireflies（Luciola terminalis ＆ Pyrocoelia analis） light organs, and a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) to understand the spatial relationship between nervous and trachea system in the light organ of fireflies.
Insect trachea and muscle were usually discussed at the same time previously and in the previous study showed that insects use muscle contraction to force gas transportation for gas exchange. But in our study, we did not find the muscles distribution around the trachea, only observed the nerve endings in the surrounding tracheoles. We thus suggest that the nerve endings give signals directly to the trachea system to do the flash required gas regulation in the lantern of fireflies.

Aprille, J. R., Lagace, C. J., Modica-Napolitano, J. and Trimmer, B. A. (2004). Role of nitric oxide and mitochondria in control of firefly flash. Integr. Comp. Biol. 44, 213-219.
Babu, B. G. and Kannan, M. (2002). Lightning Bugs. RESONANCE 7, 49-55.
Beams, H. W. and Anderson, E. (1955). Light and Electron Microscope Studies on the Light Organ of the Firefly (Photinus Pyralis). Biological Bulletin 109, 375-393.
Bodmer, R. and Jan, Y. N. (1987). Morphological-Differentiation of the Embryonic Peripheral Neurons in Drosophila. Rouxs Archives of Developmental Biology 196, 69-77.
Brown, G. C. (1999). Nitric oxide and mitochondrial respiration. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1411, 351–369.
Buck, J. B. (1937). Studies on the Firefly. II. The Signal System and Color Vision in Photinus pyralis. Physiological Zoology 10, 412-419.
Buck, J. B. (1948). The Anatomy and Physiology of the Light Organ in Fireflies. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 49, 397-470.
Case, J. F. and Strause, L. G. (1978). Neurally controlled luminescent system. In P. J. Herring (ed.): Bioluminescence in Action. New York: Academic Press. 331-336
Chihara, T. and Hayashi, S. (2000). Control of tracheal tubulogenesis by Wingless signaling. Development 127, 4433-42.
Devine, W. P., Lubarsky, B., Shaw, K., Luschnig, S., Messina, L. and Krasnow, M. A. (2005). Requirement for chitin biosynthesis in epithelial tube morphogenesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 102, 17014-9.
Garfield, E. (1982). Mcelroy,William,D. And the Illuminating Story of Bioluminescence. Current Contents, 5-15.
Ghiradella, H. (1977). Fine structure of the tracheoles of the lantern of a photurid firefly. Journal of Morphology 153, 187-203.
Ghiradella, H. (1983). Permeable sites in the firefly lantern tracheal system: Use of osmium tetroxide vapor as a tracer. Journal of Morphology 177, 145-156.
Ghiradella, H. (1998). The Anatomy of Light Production: The Fine Structure of the Firefly Lantern, in MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY OF INVERTEBRATES. New York: Wiley-Liss.
Ghiradella, H. and Schmidt, J. T. (2004). Fireflies at one hundred plus: a new look at flash control. Integr. Comp. Biol. 44, 203-212.
Gomi, K. and Kajiyama, N. (2001). Oxyluciferin, a luminescence product of firefly luciferase, is enzymatically regenerated into luciferin. J. Biol. Chem. 276, 36508-13.
Gothe, R. and Schol, H. (1992). Morphology and structural organization of spiracles in female Argas (Persicargas) walkerae (Acari: Argasidae). Exp. Appl. Acarol. 14, 151-163.
Haase, A., Stern, M., Wachtler, K. and Bicker, G. (2001). A tissue-specific marker of Ecdysozoa. Dev. Genes Evol. 211, 428-433.
Hanna, C. H., Hopkins, T. A. and Buck, J. (1976). Peroxisomes of the firefly lantern. J. Ultrastruct Res. 57, 150-162.
Harrison, J. F. (1997). Ventilatory mechanism and control in grasshoppers. American Zoologist 37, 73-81.
Harvey, E. N. (1920). The nature of animal light. Philadelphia and London.
Harvey, E. N. (1927). The Oxidation-Reduction Potential of the Luciferin-Oxyluciferin System. J. Gen. Physiol. 10, 385-393.
Harvey, E. N. (1952). Bioluminescence. New York: Academic Press.
Hastings, J. W. (1983). Biological diversity, chemical mechanisms, and the evolutionary origins of bioluminescent systems. J. Mol. Evol. 19, 309-321.
Hastings, J. W. (1996). Chemistries and colors of bioluminescent reactions: a review. Gene 173, 5-11.
Hastings, J. W. and Buck, J. (1956). The Firefly Pseudoflash in Relation to Photogenic Control. Biological Bulletin 111, 101-113.
Hastings, J. W. and Johnson, C. H. (2003). Bioluminescence and chemiluminescence. Methods Enzymol. 360, 75-104.
Hummel, T., Krukkert, K., Roos, J., Davis, G. and Klambt, C. (2000). Drosophila Futsch/22C10 is a MAP1B-like protein required for dendritic and axonal development. Neuron 26, 357-370.
Ikeya, T. and Hayashi, S. (1999). Interplay of Notch and FGF signaling restricts cell fate and MAPK activation in the Drosophila trachea. Development 126, 4455-4463.
Jan, L. Y. and Jan, Y. N. (1982). Antibodies to Horseradish-Peroxidase as Specific Neuronal Markers in Drosophila and in Grasshopper Embryos. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America-Biological Sciences 79, 2700-2704.
Jazwinska, A., Ribeiro, C. and Affolter, M. (2003). Epithelial tube morphogenesis during Drosophila tracheal development requires Piopio, a luminal ZP protein. Nat. Cell Biol. 5, 895-901.
Kluss, B. C. (1958). Light and electron microscope observations on the photogenic organ of the firefly, Photuris pennsylvanica, with special reference to the innervation. Journal of Morphology 103, 159-185.
Lehmann, F. O. (2001). Matching spiracle opening to metabolic need during flight in Drosophila. Science 294, 1926-9.
Lloyd, J. E. (1983). Bioluminescence and Communication in Insects. Annual Review of Entomology 28, 131-160.
Loesel, R., Weigel, S. and Braunig, P. (2006). A simple fluorescent double staining method for distinguishing neuronal from non-neuronal cells in the insect central nervous system. J. Neurosci. Methods 155, 202-6.
Maina, J. N. (1989). Scanning and transmission electron microscopic study of the tracheal air sac system in a grasshopper Chrotogonus senegalensis (Kraus)--Orthoptera: Acrididae: Pyrgomorphinae. Anat. Rec. 223, 393-405.
McElroy, W. D. (1947). The Energy Source for Bioluminescence in an Isolated System. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 33, 342-345.
Oertel, D., Linberg, K.A. and Case, J.F. (1975). Ultrastructure of the larval firefly light organ as related to control of light emission. Cell Tissue Res. 164, 27-44
Peterson, M. K. (1970). The fine structure of the larval firefly light organ. Journal of Morphology 131, 103-115.
Roshdy, M. A. H., Harry; Banaja, A. A.; Shoura, S. M. E. (1983). NuttMiiella namaqua (Ixodoidea: Nuttalliellidae): Spiracle Structure and Surface Morphology. Z. Parasitenkd 69, 817-821.
Samakovlis, C., Manning, G., Steneberg, P., Hacohen, N., Cantera, R. and Krasnow, M. A. (1996). Genetic control of epithelial tube fusion during Drosophila tracheal development. Development 122, 3531-6.
Shimomura, O. (2006). Bioluminescence: chemical principles and methods. New York: World Scientific Pub Co Inc.
Smith, D. S. (1963). The Organization and Innervation of the Luminescent Organ in a Firefly, Photuris Pennsylvanica (Coleoptera). The Journal of Cell Biology 16, 323-359.
Spivak, M., Masterman, R., Ross, R. and Mesce, K. A. (2003). Hygienic behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and the modulatory role of octopamine. J. Neurobiol 55, 341-354.
Timmins, G. S., Jackson, S. K. and Swartz, H. M. (2001). The evolution of bioluminescent oxygen consumption as an ancient oxygen detoxification mechanism. J. Mol. Evol. 52, 321-332.
Timmins, G. S., Robb, F. J., Wilmot, C. M., Jackson, S. K. and Swartz, H. M. (2001). Firefly flashing is controlled by gating oxygen to light-emitting cells. Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 2795-2801.
Trimmer, B. A., Aprille, J. R., Dudzinski, D. M., Lagace, C. J., Lewis, S. M., Michel, T., Qazi, S. and Zayas, R. M. (2001). Nitric oxide and the control of firefly flashing. Science 292, 2486-8.
Viviani, V. R. (2002). The origin, diversity, and structure function relationships of insect luciferases. Cell Mol. Life Sci. 59, 1833-50.
Wang, X., Sun, B., Yasuyama, K. and Salvaterra, P. M. (1994). Biochemical analysis of proteins recognized by anti-HRP antibodies in Drosophila melanogaster: Identification and characterization of neuron specific and male specific glycoproteins. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 24, 233-242.
Weis-fogh, T. (1967). Respiration and Tracheal Ventilation in Locusts and Other Flying Insects. Journal of Experimental Biology 47, 561-587.
Weitz, H. J., Ballard, A. L., Campbell, C. D. and Killham, K. (2001). The effect of culture conditions on the mycelial growth and luminescence of naturally bioluminescent fungi. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 202, 165-70.
White, E. H., McCapra, F., Field, G. and McElroy, W. D. (1961). The structure and synthesis of firefly luciferin. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 83, 2402-2403.
關崇智 (1991). 昆蟲生理學；國立編譯館出版；南山堂出版社發行
關崇智 (2004). 昆蟲系統解剖學；國立編譯館出版；合記圖書出版社發行
何健鎔, 朱建昇 (2002). 台灣賞螢地圖；晨星出版社
陳燦榮 (2003). 台灣螢火蟲；田野影像出版社
蔡岳霖 (2012). 建構螢火蟲發光器內氣管系統之立體影像；新竹：國立清華大學碩士論文