For runners and hikers, nothing is worse than heading out on a journey and realizing as you turn around that you went much farther than you intended. This is the feeling I found myself in this past week as I was trying to outrun the sunset and make it home before dark. While I was cursing myself and trying to find some semblance of enjoyment in the last mile, I noticed a small pinprick of light ahead of me. At first, I thought it was the reflection of nearby car lights, but as I continued, I noticed several lightning bugs or fireflies all around me. Instantly, I was transported back in time to hot summer nights and the backyard creek of my childhood home. While I used to see fireflies all the time as a kid, I hadn’t seen any since I had moved to Charleston full-time.
The firefly or lightning bug is not actually a fly. It is a beetle. Their flashing abdomen is the result of bioluminescence. The light is how the beetles communicate with each other. However, not all adults can produce light. The term glowworm refers to firefly larvae or wingless adult females that often produce long-lasting glows. The flashing fireflies that are more widely known are more active during dusk and nighttime.
Fireflies prefer wet and moist habitats where they prey on snails, slugs, and worms. They inject their prey with paralyzing neurotoxins and secrete digestive enzymes to help break down their prey. The larval stage of the firefly can last around two years. Species of fireflies can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
Unfortunately, firefly populations have been decreasing in recent years, and 18 species are at risk of extinction in North America. Development, deforestation, pesticide usage, light pollution, and water pollution have put a damper on the magical light shows that can be seen across the globe.
How Can You Help?
Spread the word!
Set aside part of your landscaping to provide leaf litter and abandoned logs for firefly larvae.
Avoid pesticide use for your lawns.
Turn off outdoor lights at night.
Get involved with a community science opportunity.