The effect of flash duration and flash shape on entrainment in Pteroptyx malaccae, a synchronic Southeast Asian firefly

Southeast Asian synchronic fireflies respond to stimulus flashes by phase-shifting their endogenous oscillator. This is called `flash entrainment'. The releasers for entrainment were studied by changing stimulus flash shape and duration in Pteroptyx malaccae. Stimulus flash shapes and durations were synthesized digitally and delivered by a field-portable computer system. The computer also recorded male firefly flashes that were detected with a photometer. We found that the type of entrainment and its magnitude was influenced by the duration of the entrainment flash and by its shape.