Luciferin is heat resistant, while luciferase (a bioluminescent enzyme) spurs the emission of light, Harrison explains. How? Two chemicals found in their bodies, luciferin and luciferase, spur a reaction in the presence of oxygen, adenosine triphosphate (ATP, which is found in all living things), and other compounds. Lightning bugs produce a “cold light” since 100% of the energy these critters produce results in a bioluminescent glow, creating no heat whatsoever, says Ron Harrison, Ph.D., an entomologist and technical director of international franchising with Orkin. More than 2,000 species of fireflies can be found around the world, with about 170 existing in North America, per Firefly Research and Conservation (FRC), a nonprofit organization founded by firefly researcher Ben Pfeiffer.Įven though they’re known for their bioluminescence, not all firefly species have the ability to glow-but those that can utilize their light for various reasons. Whether you enjoy dinner in the backyard or get a bonfire going, you preferably do so in the company of familiar glowing insects: fireflies.Īlso known as lightning bugs, fireflies are part of the Lampyridae family (meaning they are actually winged beetles) and tend to make an appearance in backyards, fields, and forests every year between the end of May and the beginning of June because they thrive in grassy, humid climates.
Longer days and warmer nights call for plenty of evenings spent outdoors. Underground larvae feed on worms and slugs by injecting them with a numbing fluid.Īdults eschew such prey and typically feed on nectar or pollen, though some adults do not eat at all.If there’s any season that makes you feel all the nostalgia of childhood, it’s summer. Reproduction and Dietįemales deposit their eggs in the ground, which is where larvae develop to adulthood. The fact that even larvae are luminescent lends support to this theory. Scientists are not sure how the insects regulate this process to turn their lights on and off.įirefly light may also serve as a defense mechanism that flashes a clear warning of the insect's unappetizing taste. Each blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies find potential mates. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.įirefly light is usually intermittent, and flashes in patterns that are unique to each species. Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. BioluminescenceĮveryone knows how fireflies got their name, but many people don't know how the insects produce their signature glow. In drier areas, they are found around wet or damp areas that retain moisture. Fireflies love moisture and often live in humid regions of Asia and the Americas. These insects live in a variety of warm environments, as well as in more temperate regions, and are a familiar sight on summer evenings. Most fireflies are winged, which distinguishes them from other luminescent insects of the same family, commonly known as glowworms. Fireflies are familiar, but few realize that these insects are actually beetles, nocturnal members of the family Lampyridae.
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