I don't remember when I first saw fireflys, and I wish I could. I would bet I was somewhere between scared and fascinated., I can remember collecting them in jars, though 60 plus years ago, we were not instructed to put a damp paper towel in the bottom of the jar, or a hole in the lid for air to enter, and to release them that same day so they didn't die.
But those were different times and droves of fireflys lit up our evenings, sometimes they would respond to the lights of passing cars with a frenzy of flashes. Now seeing more than a few at one time is a rarity. I still look for them every evening, and have noticed they seem more active before a thunderstorm, just my observation.
Now days I take my iced tea out to the porch and settle onto the glider to watch the gathering gloom of evening and the fireflys, All those years ago the porch was filled with with folks of all ages, silently watching the ballet of tiny lights. There were so many of them back them, fireflys I mean, some of the fields have turned to thickets, the pretty word for scrubby trees", sites for people's homes, and even a huge truck stop. Light pollution and habitat destruction, have significant negative effects on fireflys, if the meadow where they live is paved over they don't relocate, they simply give up.
There are over 200 species of firefly, but not all species are capable of "bioluminescence". Which is how the male attracts females, but I will wager you knew that. Furthermore they aren't flies they are beetles. I have held them in my hand and watched them send out their "come hither" lightshows. I was told that they were eating green corn and that is why they lit up., the adults are mainly vegetarian, some are carnivores, and some species do not eat at all when they are in the adult stage. In the larval they are carnivorous, with a real fondness for snails. In those days the yellow, green and orange flashes were likened to Tinkerbell, having just seen Disney's Peter Pan. To this day I still wonder how much of the lore of fairys, began with the love songs of fireflies.
The rhythmic pulse of those flittering lights are unique each species, some species can at times synchronize lights. When a car or truck came down the lonely road beside our house, it was answered by countless fireflys. A meandering wave of tiny sparkling lights.
Those magical lights, also signal predators that said firefly isn't so tasty as it looks. Luciferase, is the chemical that powers, and powers very efficiently, those lights. Used in a forensic science, and food safty, which is interesting because it is fairly toxic. se of The industrial use of Luciferase is another factor in the declining population.
Lampyridae, the family to which fireflys belong. A beautiful word for an equally beautiful creature. I will be looking for them again tonight, none have graced my yard and garden in the fast few nights, but may-be, just may-be tonight.
