How do female Photuris fireflies deceive Photinus males?

Female Photuris fireflies deceive Photinus males through a form of aggressive mimicry known as "code breaking".21

When a female Photuris perceives the flash of a male Photinus, she responds by mimicking the specific, slower flash pattern of a female Photinus of the same species. To further the deception as the male approaches, the Photuris female reduces the intensity of her flashes to match the weaker signals typically produced by the smaller female Photinus.2

This behavior exploits the male's instinctive response to mating signals. Once the unsuspecting Photinus male lands, expecting a mate, he is instead seized and eaten by the predatory Photuris female. This interaction illustrates how instinctive recognition codes, which usually facilitate reproductive success, can be exploited by other species for survival.21