EXPLORING NATURE: LIGHTNING BUGS

One of the joys of a Texas summer is the lightning bug. Or firefly, if you prefer the fancier name.

This little half-inch long insect is neither a bug nor a fly, but is actually a beetle, in the same family as the lady bug, the June bug and (ugh!) the cockroach.

There are some 176 species in the U.S. and 36 species in Texas.

Most endearing feature of the lightning bug is its ability to flash a blue-white light about every four seconds as it flies around. I really enjoy seeing these flashes going across my backyard and over toward my little creek, which, thanks to recent rains, is burbling along at full tilt these days.

Lightning bugs have suffered in recent years from heavy pesticide use, especially mosquito spraying, and also from fire ants. Light pollution is also a problem, since they only thrive in darkness when their light signals are used to find mates.

Fireflies eat tiny insects and also will dine on snails and slugs. They are harmless to humans.

No other insect has a lightproducing structure in its abdomen. The light produces no heat and, if you like technicalities, results from the combination of luciferin and luciferase.

Kids enjoy catching fireflies and putting them in mason jars, which is probably not that much fun for the fireflies.

I hope you’ve seen a few flashing, flying lightning bugs around your place. They are a sound indicator you have an eco-friendly environment. Congratulations.