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Have you noticed the flashing lights flying around your yard at night? This time of year, we can enjoy one of nature’s unique creatures, the firefly or lightning bug. Fireflies are neither bugs nor flies—they are beetles that light up using a chemical reaction in their lower abdomen (the bottom part of their body); this is called bioluminescence. These insects take oxygen inside special cells and combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat. Since they are so noticeable, it seems like they would be an easy target for predators. However, it is thought that the light might also serve as a defense mechanism – it is a bright warning: “Don’t eat me, I’m toxic!”
Some fireflies light up in a specific blinking pattern, like a secret code that they use to “talk” with other fireflies and to find mates. Some fireflies make quick flashes, while other fireflies give long-lasting glows, and still others use invisible chemical signals. In Missouri, male fireflies seek mates by flying around and flashing. Females rest on vegetation and generally do not fly. When a female sees a male of her own species, she answers by flashing back to him. In this way, females choose their mates—if she doesn't respond to a male’s flash, he can’t find her in the dark.
A few days after mating, a female lays her fertilized eggs on or just below the surface of the ground. The eggs hatch three to four weeks later, and the larvae, known as glowworms, don’t blink; they glow continuously and can be seen on the ground in moist areas near grass and brush.
These flashing adults are endlessly entertaining to children and adults. Their quiet presence adds the magic of nature’s fireworks to a Missouri summer night. It’s one of the true wonders of nature to see thousands of fireflies blinking across a field, or, if you’re lucky enough, to see an entire group of fireflies in a stream valley blinking on and off in unison.
Here are some tips to help attract fireflies:
• Turn off outside lights at night.
• Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides.
• Create a water feature in your landscape.
• Use only natural fertilizers on your lawn.
• Don’t over-mow your lawn.
• Incorporate areas of tall native grasses and native trees in your landscape.
For more information on fireflies check out https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/fireflies-lightning-bugs.
 Female Firefly
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