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Fireflies Did you know that fireflies are also known as lightning bugs? Fireflies are a type of nocturnal (active at night) beetle. They're called fireflies because in some species the adult creates flashes of light to attract a mate. Here's a fascinating fact. Did you know the ancient Chinese sometimes put fireflies in see-through containers and used them as lanterns?
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| Animal Communication |
The glow of a
firefly is created by two substances While fireflies use chemicals to create their flashing light, the communication between them occurs visually. Mating between fireflies takes place in the summer in the evenings. The male firefly flies over the grass and flashes his light, while the female rests in the grass and responds with her light. Although fireflies of different species may be flying near one another, female fireflies only respond to the males of their species. After this courtship ritual, the male and female firefly mate. Males fly about flashing their species specific flash pattern. Females of the same species are often sitting on vegetation located near the ground. If a flashing male catches a female's fancy, she will respond at a fixed time delay after the last male's flash. A short flash dialogue may occur between the male and female as the male locates her position and descends to mate. Fireflies produce light from a chemical reaction consisting of luciferin (a substrate) combined with luciferase (an enzyme), ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and oxygen. When these components are added together, light is produced. Fireflies use their light for other purposes than mating. Many scientists believe firefly larvae use their luminescence as a warning signal. It tells predators that they taste bad because they have defensive chemicals in their bodies. These larvae also increase both the intensity and frequency of their glow when disturbed.
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| Physical Characteristics |
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Like beetles, fireflies' front wings are thick,
hard, protecting covers called elytra. Most fireflies grow to be about one inch (2 1/2 centimeters) in length. Its body is divided into the three main parts of head, thorax (middle section), and abdomen (tail section). On its head, the firefly has a pair of antennae and a pair of eyes which help it to learn about its surroundings. The eyes of the male are especially large and are used to help him find females. Like other beetles, the firefly has strong, biting mandibles, or jaws. The firefly uses its mandibles to cut, pierce, and chew its food. Its other mouthparts are used to help the firefly taste and swallow.
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| Habitat |
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Most firefly larvae are found in rotting
wood or other forest litter or on the edges of streams and ponds at night. Some
Asian species are fully aquatic (due to the presence of tracheal gills) and live
underwater, feeding on aquatic snails. Adult fireflies are found in the same general habitats as their larvae. Generally speaking, the highest number of firefly species are found in warm, humid areas of the world. Some species, however, are found in very dry regions of the world. In these arid regions, larvae and adults can be easily found following rains. The greatest number of firefly species (highest species diversity) are found in tropical Asia, Central America, and South America. Fireflies inhabit warm humid areas throughout the world.
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| Food |
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The baby fireflies are called larvae and
eat worms, snails, and slugs. The larvae live in the ground and look like grubs.
The diet of the mature adult fireflies is somewhat of a mystery. Adult fireflies are sometimes predatory (they use their glow to attract other types of fireflies and then eat them). Fireflies also drink nectar. The Asian firefly lives in the water and only eats snails.
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| Growth & Reproduction |
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After their courtship ritual, the male and
female firefly mate. The female then lays her fertilized eggs individually in
leaves, grass, or soil. Young fireflies hatch from their eggs as tiny, worm-like
larvae with many body segments and many legs. The larvae are called
glowworms. They feed over the summer and then burrow beneath the ground
and live there until spring (some species live underground for many
years). They come out in spring and feed for a few weeks.
Then they pupate for about two to three weeks and turn into adults.
They live for a short time and spend all of their time in the mating process. Shortly after mating, the female lays her fertilized eggs. Typically, the eggs of the glowworm are laid one at a time or in pairs. After two to four weeks, young glowworm larvae hatch from the eggs and continue developing. The adult firefly has an average life span of two to three weeks.
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| Other Interesting Facts |
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| Activities |
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Fireflies are nocturnal in their behavior, and males commonly fly about in the evening during early summer.
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| Citations |
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Online Resources Brahman, Mark. "Habitat and Range." 9 March 2006 <http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/frfact.html>. "Firefly." Wikipedia. 15 April 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireflies>. "Firefly." Yahoo. 12 March 2006 <http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=16928>. "Firefly." 10 March 2006 <http:// sasweb2.epnet.com/resultlist.asp?>. (Link no longer available) Lloyd, James E. "Firefly" World Book Online Reference Center. 8 March 2006 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/printarticle?id=ar197840&st=firefly>. Images Permission to use photograph of firefly glowing is granted under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>. Copyrighted animations of fireflies from "Animation Factory" <http://www.animationfactory.com/> March, 2006. Animations are not in the public domain and are available only to members.
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called luciferin and luciferase. These
substances work together to turn oxygen into light. A firefly's glow may be
orange, red or yellow. 
These elytra protect the firefly's soft,
delicate rear wings. It is important that these wings be protected because the
firefly uses them for flight. This characteristic of having elytra is common to
beetles, not flies. When a firefly is resting on the ground its elytra rest on
its back and appear as a solid piece of exoskeleton, or external skeleton. But
when the firefly flies, the elytra lift, and the rear wings carry the firefly
into the air. Firefly elytra are usually dull brown or black and thick,
smooth, and shiny.