The names “firefly” and “lightning bug” originated because of the flashes of light the critters give off. While there are several different species of fireflies, none are actually flies they’re beetles. Lightning Bugs Are Beetles Whose Numbers Are Decreasing The name you give these twinkling bioluminescent bugs depends on where you’re from. It turns out, they’re absolutely the same insect.
If you’re lucky enough to be in an area still rife with glow-in-the-dark insects, you might be wondering what they’re actually called, and if fireflies and lightning bugs are the same animal. The season also evokes memories of time spent by the pool or in front of campfires and admiring the flicker of lightning bugs - or fireflies - in your backyard. Researchers hope to continue learning from them for medical advancement as well as understanding how they communicate and synchronize with each other.Summertime means days out in the sun and evenings under the stars. One of the biggest species, found in East Asia, can grow to be the size of your palm!įireflies have been around since the time of the dinosaurs, and scientists are still just scratching the surface in terms of studying these creatures. Within North America, there are about 170 different known types of the beetle. While many are indistinguishable to the untrained eye, there are lots (lots) of different species of lightning bugs: More than 1,900 across the globe. Indiana’s state insect, the Say’s firefly, falls into that last category. Species in the genus Photinus have a yellow flash, those in the Photuris genus have a green flash and those in the Pyractomena genus have an amber flash. That said, all species of fireflies - even the dark ones - light up in their larval stage.Īll of the flashing fireflies in Indiana are classified into three groups, distinguished by the color that they glow. These species use their sense of smell to mate. There are several species of the beetle that actually don’t produce light in their adult form, and these are known as “dark” fireflies. Then they strike - a nice way of saying they have that male for dinner. That’s because they will mimic the flash patterns of other species to lure in unsuspecting males. The females of one firefly species have earned the nickname femme fatales.
LIGHTNING BUGS CODE
Each species will flash in different shapes of different sequences - a code if you will - to make sure they find the right partner. Usually the bugs you see hovering in your backyard are the males. In other words, that’s their love language. A few other lightning bug, firefly facts you may not have knownįireflies use their flashes for more than lighting up the night sky. So next time this debate sparks up around a campfire or a late night barbecue, you can use this information to help mediate and keep things civil. They are beetles, just like Ladybugs, and like others in their family, they have a pair of hardened wing cases that the wings fold underneath. These insects are nocturnal members of the Lampyridae family. It's tick season: Here are tips to protect against the blood-sucking bugs They’re beetles (which is actually different from a bug in scientific entomology terms).
Studying synchronous fireflies on Jin the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.Īnd in Europe, they are called something else entirely: glowworms.Īll that said, none of those terms are correct. Of a couple dozen comments on a Facebook thread - a very serious poll - the vast majority said they are known as lightning bugs in the Hoosier state. Many people in Indiana feel strongly about using what they say is the correct term. But at the very least, it makes for a good tale and more regional debate. More research is needed to confirm if that is in fact the case. The correlation could be a mere coincidence.
In much of the West, where “firefly” is used more frequently, wildfires are a more regular occurrence. I’m sure you can see where this is going. Lightning bug is the term of choice for most folks from the Midwest and the South.īut why it breaks down that way gets even more interesting.Ī meteorological researcher surmised a couple years ago that the areas where people tend to say “lightning bug” overlaps with the parts of the country where lightning strikes are more frequent. As it so happens, research shows that firefly is the more common term used out West and in New England.
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