Hotaria parvula (species of firefly)
A small firefly species native to Japan; often used in biological or nature contexts.
The Himebotaru is smaller than the Genji firefly and its flashing pattern is different.
Katakana spelling is common for species names; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the word is normally written in kana.
The name combines 姫 (hime, 'princess' or 'small and delicate') with 蛍 (hotaru, 'firefly'), referring to its small size. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.