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FIREFLIES

LARVA ADULT

illustration of top and bottom view of firefly

(aka: LIGHTNING BUGS, GLOWWORMS) .

Fireflies (family Lampyridae), also known as lightning bugs, are nocturnal, luminous beetles. These names come from the fact that some species as adults emit flashes of light to attract mates in order to reproduce, using special light-emitting organs in the abdomen. Many species of lampyrid beetles do not glow as adults, but they all glow as larvae. The larvae of fireflies are generally known as glowworms.

What is the most common firefly?

• The "Big Dipper" (Photinus pyralis) is the most common firefly throughout most of the midwest. It is the firefly that is commonly seen over lawns in urban areas and along roadsides in the country.

• It has a yellow flash that last from .50 to .75 seconds. It tends to fly upward, sometimes in a "J" when flashing. At the end of the flash, the male hovers for approximately 2 seconds waiting for a female response. If there is no response, it will fly to a new location and try again.

• If you have a pen-light, you can sometimes lure a male Big Dipper by responding to his flash within the 2 seconds that he is hovering near you.

• Although easy to catch, Big Dippers do not tend to do much flashing when placed in a jar.

http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/outreach/firefly/ffinfo

How do fireflies produce light?

Fireflies use a process known as bioluminescence, this is a chemical process that occurs in their photo organ. This process is not limited to lightning bugs. There are other animals such as worms and aquatic life that use bioluminescence too.

http://www.bmb.uga.edu/wampler/biolum/worm/sld001.htm

bi·o·lu·mi·nes·cence (bī'ō-lū'mə-nĕs'əns)
n.

Emission of visible light by living organisms such as the firefly and various fish, fungi, and bacteria.

bioluminescent bi'o·lu'mi·nes'cent adj.

http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/biolum.html

Why do fireflies glow?

Adult fireflies glow to attract mates. Many species can be distinguished by their unique flash patterns. Some female fireflies are known to imitate male flash responses from other species so they (the females) can prey on the unsuspecting males. Glowworms glow to warn predators they are poisonous and don't taste very good.

warning: Don't let your lizards eat fireflies.

Some fireflies produce a chemical that is a self-defense toxin and is not the substance that makes

fireflies glow. Reptiles and amphibians from habitats without the poisonous type of fireflies seem

not to know any better and may eat anything that flies by.

Where can fireflies be found?

There are more than 2000 species of firefly, found in temperate and tropical environments around the world.

habitat and range

Most firefly larvae are found in rotting wood or other forest litter or on the edges of streams and ponds at night. Some Asian species are fully aquatic (due to the presence of tracheal gills) and live underwater, feeding on aquatic snails. The larvae of several tropical firefly species in the genus Pyractomena are strictly arboreal, feed on arboreal snails and pupate while hanging under living leaves - similar to a butterfly chrysalis (Lloyd 1991).

Adult fireflies are found in the same general habitats as their larvae. Generally speaking, the highest number of firefly species are found in warm, humid areas of the world. Some species, however, are found in very arid regions of the world. In these arid regions, larvae and adults can be readily found following rains. The greatest number of firefly species (highest species diversity) are found in tropical Asia and Central and South America.

Go East, young firefly!

If you live in the United States, west of about the middle of Kansas, you are not apt to have the flashing type of fireflies in your area. Although some isolated sightings of luminous fireflies have been reported from time to time from regions of the western U.S., fireflies that glow are typically not found west of Kansas. The reason for this phenomenon is not known.

Many firefly species tend to be found around water such as ponds, streams, marshes or even depressions, ditches, etc., that may retain moisture longer then surrounding areas. However, fireflies are also found in very dry regions of the world as well.

Trying to attract fireflies to your yard or garden?

If you are interested in attracting them to your property:

1. Cut down or eliminate using chemicals on you lawn.

2. Reduce any "extra lighting" (photic noise) on your property, as this light interferes with the fireflies luminous signals (i.e., it is harder for fireflies of many species to locate mates in such areas). Also many firefly species are active only during a certain period of the evening. These insects determine when they will flash (i.e., the time of night) by the intensity of ambient light. This is why you don't see many fireflies flashing on clear nights when the moon is full.

3. Additionally, low overhanging trees, tall grass or similar vegetation will provide adult fireflies a place to rest during the day and remain cool.

While these tips may not guarantee you success in attracting fireflies to your yard, they may certainly improve the odds....

What do fireflies eat?


Fireflies are not flies at all, but they are kinds of beetles. They are also called lightning bugs. Firefly eggs hatch into little wormlike creatures called larvae. Some kinds of larvae glow in the dark, and those that do are called glowworms. The glowworms eat very small creatures such as other insects, snails, and slugs. Some adult fireflies also eat other insects. Some eat pollen and other flower parts, and some probably do not eat anything at all. It is fun to capture several fireflies and watch them make their lights. The light of each firefly blinks on and off, but if there are several in a jar, some of their lights will be flashing most of the time.

http://www.highlightskids.com/Science/ScienceQuestions/h1sciQfireFlies.asp

LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE:

Males and female are luminous, though rhythmic flashes vary by sex.
During mating season, a flying male flashes his light for a specific duration, while the female (which remains on the ground) flashes him back. These bioluminescent signals can take the form of anything from a continuous glow, to discrete single flashes, to "flash-trains" composed of multi-pulsed flashes. Aspects of male flash patterns may also be affected by sexual selection. Females have been shown to prefer certain characteristics of a male's photic signal (such as increased flash rate) and respond preferentially to males that possess these "sexy" signal components.
Female fireflies lay their eggs in soil; in approximately four weeks the eggs hatch into larvae, which are carnivorous.
After hatching, the larvae eat for a period of about three months and then dig small tunnels where they live for a period of time, after which they pupate and emerge into fireflies.
The life spans of fireflies vary, but usually these insects live no longer than three or four months.
Fireflies rest on plants and trees during the day and fly between dusk and dawn.

You can do an internet search using the key words "fireflies", "lightning bugs", and "bioluminescence" for more information. Here is a cool web-site with a firefly game: http://www.microprizes.com/mp54.htm

Citations Resources and Links

Dictionary definition of bioluminescence
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. More from Dictionary