Lightning Bugs

[Magicman]

Maybe it is because of our very wet Spring, but we have many lightning bugs.

Sometimes called Fire Flys, they are neither a bug nor a fly.  They are actually beetles that spend most of their life in the ground as larva.  Their light is produced chemically and is called a "cold light".  The female glows brightly and the male glows dimly and only intermittently. 

I love to see and watch them.   It reminds me of a long ago time when I chased and caught them. 

[clww]

I remember chasing and catching them, too, back in the 70s. 

[semologger]

when i was a kid i would catch them also but i would release them with my air rifle. put them in the end of barrel then poof. makes a real pretty light show. even on side of the shed. lol

[florida]

When I was a kid we had the old kerosene lighting bugs and then the next thing I knew they were fluorescent. This year I've been seeing a lot more LED  bugs.  :D

[ancjr]

When I was a kid, I remember huge numbers of them over the cow pasture at night.  I've never seen them so thick as they were then. 

[mesquite buckeye]

That's one thing I really miss about the midwest. We are lucky to see one or two all summer long out here, sometimes none for years on end.

Always had plenty in Ohio, but the heaviest lightning bugs I have seen is in Missouri. Several different species, all with slightly different colors and frequencies. I've seen them so thick on the trees along the edges of the woods that the trees were aglow with them.

Enjoy. They are one of the true delights of summer.

[gspren]

 Back in 1973 when I was stationed in Norfolk one of my Navy buddies came up here to PA with me for a weekend break. I believe he was from Washington or Oregon and had never seen a fire fly before and sitting out at night he was astounded to the point that at first he thought he was hallucinating before he asked if we saw the lights too.

[wesdor]

A few years ago friends from northern Germany were visiting and were really excited to see fireflies.

They told us that all the insecticides on farms had killed them off in Germany. 

It is dark outside now and there are no fireflies yet.  My wife thinks we need some warm weather before we will see them.  Hope she is correct.

[coxy]

seen tons of them last night to summer is here

[mesquite buckeye]

Anybody want to post a video????? ??? ??? ??? 8) 8)

[thecfarm]

I don't think they are out here. I was out last night and came in at 10 past 9 and did not see any.

[ancjr]

I've only seen 2-3 this year... so far.   

[Roxie]

In our area, lightening bugs are a middle of summer event.  They are really active by the 4th of July. 

[LeeB]

We had quite a few when I left home for work this time. They should be in full swing by the time I get back next week. When I was a kid living in Austin Texas, UT had a research thing going on about them and paid a penny apiece for them. No telling how many of the poor little buggers died in an old mayo jar. We lived outside of town and none ever made to be sold.

[WmFritz]

Hasn't been hot enough at my home in Mid-Michigan, yet. Seems like we need warm, muggy nights to wake em up in my woods. A true sign of summer though. It is magical watching the light show blinking on and off around the edges of the dark woods.

[Piston]

You guys all talk about catching them when you were kids?  Don't lie, you know you still chase them around  :D  I know I still try to catch them, although, according to my wife, I'm still a kid-it's debatable.   ;D

[Ianab]

We don't have those lightening bugs, but we do have Glow Worms that have the same bio-luminescence thing going on. Most famous is the caves full of them at Waitomo where there are thousands of them in big caves and they take you though in a small boat to look at them.

But they are actually quite common in the countryside as well, river banks and quiet country roadsides. The glow is from the larvae stage, which is small worm / grub. It makes a "net" from dangling threads of stringy silk, then lights up to attract insect prey. Small insects fly to the light, get caught up, and the grub pulls up the thread and eats them.

From a short distance they look like a bright star, so on a dark night it's looks like the stars continue down the river bank under the undergrowth.

Only see them if you are wandering around in the bush / streams in the middle of them night of course. As kids we would go out hunting eels and possums at night, so you would see them quite often.

Interesting fact, their lights are almost 100% efficient at converting chemical energy into light. Practically not waste heat. Best man can do is about 22% efficiency with the best LEDs

Ian

[talldog]

There's been a bunch of them in my part of mid-coast Maine the last few nights. So many that they keep me awake flashing against my window. I think the 90 degree days we had last weekend hatched them. Unlike tonight with rain and a fire going in the house.

[mesquite buckeye]

Just saw one up at the greenhouse today. First one I've seen in AZ in many years. No flash of course, daytime.

[LeeB]

Not so many as I had hoped to see when I returned home. I think not enough rain for them.  Still saw a couple tonight while out enjoying the hot tub.