A few interesting facts from the volumes at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC.
1) Fireflies don't sting. You can catch them in your hand and look closely at them without worrying about being stung, bit or slimed. If you put them in a jar, make sure they have air to breathe and let them go after a day or so.
2.) They can't see blue. So paint blue fingernail polish on a flashlight to see them better without bothering them.
3.) Adult males are usually in the air while females are usually on the ground. The males use “bioluminescence” to attract the females.
4.) Fireflies are not really flies. They are beetles.
5.) New Hampshire has 20 species of fireflies in the air at this time of year. There are more than 2,000 firefly species in the world.
6.) Some species, including those in the Smoky Mountains, and can synchronize their flashes.
7.) Firefly light can be yellow, green or orange.
8.) 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.
9.) Larvae are carnivorous and particularly enjoy snails. Adult fireflies usually live off of nectar and pollen, but some don’t feed at all.
10.) A few firefly species are also carnivorous as adults. They don’t eat snails, though—they eat fireflies of other genera.
10.) A chemical reaction within the firefly’s light organ produces the light—oxygen combines with calcium, adenosine triphosphate (ATP—the energy-carrying molecule of all cells) and a chemical called luciferin, when an enzyme called luciferase is present.
11) Light pollution and habitat destruction may be a factor in the decline of the firefly.
12) The term "glow worm" is another name for some firefly larvae.
Whatever the bug, they're magical and a Summertime essential when visiting local campgrounds or farms. There's nothing like sleeping in a sweet smelling hayloft, lit only by mason jars filled with laminating fireflies!!
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