Coffee Break with Liz and Kate

Betcha didn’t know…that the summer nights of catching a jar full of lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, are quickly disappearing.  Take a minute and try to remember the last time you saw a firefly.  Unless you’re one of the lucky few, I’m betting it’s been quite a while. 

That’s because the firefly population is disappearing.

Last year 100 entomologists and biologists went to Thailand for an international symposium on the “Diversity and Conservation of Fireflies.” They attribute the firefly decline to two factors, development and light pollution.

The natural habitat of these magical bugs, which is fields, forests and marshes, is being overtaken by urban development and human traffic.  More houses and people around = less fireflies.

The other big problem is light pollution.  Our night skies are no longer dark enough for fireflies.  According to firefly.org (which looks like it’s pretty much the authority on all things firefly)…

Both male and female fireflies use their flashing lights to communicate. Some species synchronize their flashes, sometimes across large groups of thousands of insects. All species speak a language of light—scientists believe they use it to attract mates, defend their territory, and warn off predators.

Human  light pollution is believed to interrupt firefly flash patterns. Scientists have observed that synchronous fireflies get out of synch for a few minutes after a car’s headlights pass. Light from homes, cars, stores, and streetlights may all make it difficult for fireflies to signal each other during mating—meaning fewer firefly larvae are born next season.

Check out these tips on what you can do to bring these fireflies back to your own backyard.

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

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