Fireflies in the USA

This video from the USA is called Fireflies in Pennsylvania.

Why Do Fireflies Flash Their Lights At Us?

Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2014 by eNature

I was kayaking on the Potomac River yesterday evening and saw my first fireflies of the season in the foliage along the river bank.

It had been a great paddle with lots of osprey fishing, barn swallows enjoying insects overhead, leaping bass making huge splashes, and even an encounter with a slightly confused beaver.

But the fireflies were the most unexpected sighting.

There were only a few, but they’re a sure sign that spring is moving on into summer..

And now that summer is here (at least unoffically) many of us will be encountering fireflies in our yards and gardens.

Despite their small size and preference for dark places, fireflies deservedly receive a lot of attention when summer arrives. And there’s a lot more going on than many of us realize…

A Tale of Lust And Death

Their remarkable green and yellow flashing lights have a hypnotic effect on people. Children in particular are drawn to fireflies. But the same throbbing glow that attracts youngsters often leads male fireflies to their deaths.

In warm-weather months, especially where open meadows and forests coexist, the adult male fireflies of most species set out on mating flights in the evening hours. The females, meanwhile, await their mates in the foliage, blinking seductively. The task for each male is to find an unmated female of its own species.

It’s critical that the female be unmated because in many firefly species the females change through internal chemistry into man-eaters once they successfully mate. Thereafter they use their blinks to attract meals. Some females even imitate the idiosyncratic blinking patterns of other species in an effort to attract as many unsuspecting males as possible.

It’s a fly-eat-fly world out there!

Have you seen any fireflies yet? Or any other summer creatures?

We always enjoy hearing your stories.

Click here to read more about one of our most common species of firefly.