A Plausible Model for Synchrony in Pteroptyx effulgens and Its Occurrence Condition for Traveling Waves

Abstract

Abstract. Fireflies in Papua New Guinea, Pteroptyx effulgens, form a traveling wave pattern in their synchronous flashing. In this paper, we propose a novel model with pulse-coupled oscillators based on the flash-induced experiments by Hanson et al. The numerical analysis reveals that there exists a precise condition which fully characterizes the formation of the traveling waves. We prove that the condition is necessary and sufficient for the formation of the traveling waves from the initial states in a global synchronization.