I haven’t seen a lightning bug in a long while. Time was, I could look out on a summer night and see their flashing lights in the gathering dark but it’s been a couple of years since they put on their show.
More than 2,000 species of fireflies and lightning bugs exist worldwide. There are 170 in North America. To be strictly technical, these insects are neither flies nor bugs. Rather, they are beetles. Very short-lived beetles, since adult fireflies survive only a few days or weeks before dying. Fireflies go through a complete metamorphosis; laying eggs in moist areas, with these hatching in about two weeks. The larvae grow for a few months, pupate underground and then transform into adults. They take more time getting ready to live than they do living. Many adult fireflies do not eat at all. However, some predatory females will eat male fireflies. Something like female praying mantises that mate and then eat the male.
Viewing season for fireflies begins in early May and lasts until September. Chemicals, enzymes and other compounds combine to produce the light from the bug’s abdomen. The blinking rate is helpful in identifying the various species since each has a different flash pattern. There is one species of firefly that flashes in unison with its fellow flies. These synchronized bugs are found mostly in the Smoky Mountains. They prefer dark, mature forests and one of their favorites is Allegheny State Park. Fireflies prefer hot and humid nights, and it has been plenty hot around my place, but not very humid. The viewing season is over for now and I’ll have to wait until next year and hope these bright fliers return once more.
