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People through the ages have been intrigued by the auroras of fireflies. The firefly, or lightning bug, is neither a fly nor a bug, but a flying beetle. These twinkling beetles can produce a cold, almost perfect light that lights up the summer night. Our lights, in comparison, are hot and waste energy.
How do fireflies make their light? The process is complicated and not completely understood. It comes from their abdomen where oxygen taken in is combined with a chemical named luciferin. Luciferin is then activated by another chemical reaction called luciferase. The cold light is created by this hard to fathom chemical process, and the timing of the flash is controlled by nerves in the insect. Fortunately, we don’t quite have to understand how it happens, to enjoy it!
There are almost 200 species of fireflies in the United States, but almost none exist in the western half of the country. Worldwide there are close to 2000 firefly species, found on every continent except Antarctica.
The flash of the firefly is a love call. It’s the way they find each other for mating. Both male and females flash, using a personal code during courtship. The ones flashing in flight are the males, while the females sit in the tall grasses and respond by flashing their light. But there are also “femme fatale” lightning bugs, which lure mates of other females by mimicking their passwords, only to devour them! By eating the male, the female acquires the chemical he carries, which will protect her against predators.
But there are other reasons for the light. It warns birds and other insects that they are not good to eat. The chemicals that make the light are very bitter. And the third reason of fireflies lighting up is to warn each other of danger. That is precisely what they are doing when they are captured in a jar, or caught in a spiders web, flashing a warning to other fireflies to stay away!
Each species of firefly are different, preferring different habitats, and even having different colors of light. Some have a yellow flash, some a green flash, and some an amber flash. Some fireflies are primarily in open fields, others in wooded areas, and many prefer to be near water of some kind. Even the timing of their flash is different, with some flashing primarily at dusk, while others flash when it gets very dark.
Fireflies live only a few short weeks. During that time, they mature, mate, lay the eggs of their young and die. Some seem to think that a mature firefly may not even live long enough to eat, but others believe that they may feed on nectar. The larvae, which are also luminescent and are called gloworms, are known to feed on earthworms and slugs.
Fireflies are one of the great treats of a summer night. Few could watch the shimmering tapestry of lights, without being moved by it. Watching them, one can’t help but believe in a higher power that made these tiny creatures with the perfect lights. And aren’t we lucky that they’re out there, lighting up our summer nights?
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