Lightning bugs (also commonly known as fireflies) are easy to spot during the night when their lights glow bright. But where do they go when the Sun rises? Fireflies don't burrow underground. They also don't need sunlight to recharge their lights. So why don't we notice them during the day? Where do they go?
Fireflies spend most of their daylight hours on the ground amongst tall grasses. Long grass helps to hide fireflies during the day, so you're unlikely to see them unless you're on your hands and knees looking for them. Fireflies have very short life cycles. Adult fireflies live only long enough to mate and lay eggs.
Fireflies may not even need to eat during their adult period. Firefly larvae usually live about one year (from one mating season to the next) before they become adults and give birth to the next generation of fireflies. Are you ready to learn more about fireflies? Here are some things you may not know:
·
A
chemical reaction within the firefly’s light organ produces
the light—oxygen
combines with calcium, adenosine triphosphate and a chemical called luciferin,
when an enzyme called luciferase is present.
·
Fireflies
are among the many species that are bioluminescent, meaning that they can produce
their own light.
·
Firefly
larvae may glow, even some that live underground or under water. They use the
light to communicate to predators that they aren’t tasty
(they produce unpalatable, defensive steroids for protection).
·
Firefly
light can be yellow, green, or orange.
·
In
some places at some times, fireflies synchronize their
flashing.
·
Larvae
are carnivorous and particularly enjoy snails. Adult
fireflies usually live off of nectar and pollen, but some don’t
feed at all.
·
Luciferase has proven to be a useful chemical
in scientific research, food safety testing and forensic tests.
·
Males
that do glow use their flash to attract females. Each species has its own pattern
of light flashing.
·
Observing
fireflies in your backyard can help scientists learn more about these insects and
why they’re disappearing.
·
Other
factors that may be contributing to firefly decline include light pollution and
habitat destruction—if a field where fireflies live is paved over, the
fireflies don’t migrate to another field, they just disappear forever.
·
The
light is the most efficient light in the world. Nearly 100 percent of
the energy in the chemical reaction is emitted as light.
·
There
are more than 2,000 species of fireflies, a type of beetle. Despite their name,
only some species produce adults that glow. Fireflies in the western United
States, for example, lack the ability to produce light.
·
When
luciferase was first discovered, the only way to obtain the chemical was from
fireflies themselves. Today, synthetic luciferase is available, but some
companies still harvest fireflies, which may be contributing to their decline.
“Women have in their natures
something akin to owls and fireflies. While men grow stupid and sleepy towards
evening, they become brighter and more open-eyed, and show a propensity to flit
and sparkle under the light of chandeliers.” (Abba Louisa Goold Woolson) [i]
[i] Sources used:
· “14 Fun
Facts about Fireflies “By Sarah Zielinski
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