Shen Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Insect (chóng) Firefly Kangxi strokes: 16 Page 1093, Entry 45 Pronounced ying. Name of a luminous insect. Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances (Yueling): Rotten grass transforms into fireflies. Erya, Explaining Insects (Shi chong): The firefly is also called zhao. Commentary: It flies at night, and there is fire beneath its abdomen. Notes on Old and New (Gujin zhu): The firefly is also named yao ye, jing tian, yi yao, dan liang, lin, dan niao, ye guang, and xiao zhu. Piya: The firefly has no stomach, yet it thrives. Book of Jin (Jin shu), Biography of Che Yin: Because his family was poor and he could not always afford oil, in the summer he would fill a fine silk bag with dozens of fireflies to illuminate his books. Also pronounced ying. The meaning is the same. Sometimes written in a variant form.