The Magic of Fireflies: Lighting Up the Night and Advancing Science
Greetings!
Spring has definitely sprung… *Achoo!*…and along with the natural world, me and my wife are emerging from our winter hibernation. We both work from home and truthfully, get out quite infrequently. The fact I have three appointments this week and two next week really says a lot. We’re getting our annual physicals and mammograms out of the way, and beyond that, we’ve taken Buttercup, our RV, to be de-winterized and washed, tomorrow I am meeting my daughter at her college’s native plant sale, and I’m not even sure what else is in store.
It feels good to get out, be active, and absorb some sunlight.
This Week
Taking our RV to be serviced for the season means we will soon be off on some adventures. We still have to purchase a few things to be ready to take Max and Jasper with us, plus have to slowly introduce them to their rolling home, but unlike last year, this year it feels doable. My daughter is super ready to have us hit the road so she can have the house to herself - well, along with Kola-Dog. She’s leaving for a 3-month internship near the end of August which means we’ll lose our pet sitter during that time, so we need to get on the road while we can.
Another project for this week is to make more room in my glass studio, which is just a portion of our garage that I carved out from the many boxes, tools, and miscellaneous items that are stored there. For my birthday I received a beautiful box of glass, plus a bottle cutter. I definitely need more room as my equipment is leaving me little room to actually work.
Full Speed Ahead
What About…?
Fireflies
When I was young, my family lived in Texas for about two years. I remember two types of “bugs” from this time, June bugs and fireflies. I’ve since learned both are not actually bugs, but beetles. Seven-year-old me would not have cared much about that distinction. I’m not sure I truly care that much about the distinction now, happy just knowing they are out there somewhere, living their lives unconcerned about their scientific classification.
Having lived most of my life in the Pacific Northwest, fireflies are mostly a magical memory for me now. I fondly remember their tiny lights flashing in the night, catching them and putting them in a jar for later release, mesmerized by their enchanting essence. This week, I thought it would be fun to learn more about fireflies.
Fireflies are about an inch long.
Many species of female fireflies do not have wings.
Most, but not all of the 2000+ species of fireflies have an organ on the last section of the lower abdomen that emits bioluminescent light. Fun fact about light - Luminescent light is cold light, as opposed to incandescent light, which radiates from a heat source.
All species of fireflies glow in their larval form. Some species have eggs that glow.
Firefly light is the most energy efficient in the world - emitting 100% of its energy as light and none as heat.
Fireflies use their lanterns (yes, that’s the real name) to warn off predators as well as to attract mates.
Fireflies also emit a nasty-smelling, toxic chemical that tends to keep predators away. Their poison can kill small animals, make larger animals sick, and could even kill a human if they ate enough/too many of them. The estimates I found were between 10-20 of the most toxic species. So, don’t eat fireflies, feed them to your reptiles, or allow any of your pets to ingest them.
Fireflies on found on every continent except Antarctica. In the US, it had long been believed fireflies were not found in the western half of the county. However, in 2019 the Western Firefly Project (started in Utah in 2014) began documenting firefly sightings in western states including Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and Colorado.
Exploring More
The Magic of Fireflies: Lighting Up the Night and Advancing Science
I’ve long known that fireflies are super cool because they flit around like tiny sparks of magic in the night. I had no idea there are so many interesting facts about them that it would be difficult to narrow down to a small number to cover in more depth.
Yet, narrow I must as I realize some of my posts have ended up possibly being too lengthy due to my enthusiasm. I’ll let you know now that the biggest topic I am not going to address is the cultural and historical significance of fireflies. Let it suffice to say that many cultures have found fireflies worthy of their attention in art, daily life, and mythology.
When most of us think of fireflies, we think of their delightful little lights and may even wonder, “How do they do that?” Here’s the answer: Within their lantern, a specialized organ in the abdomen, oxygen is combined with calcium and two chemicals, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and luciferin, along with a bioluminescent enzyme, and voilà - light!
As mentioned earlier, the light is used to keep away predators and signal potential mates. There could also be other uses that humans don’t know about. What we do know is that signal patterns vary within species and between sexes. In one species, the male flies in a particular pattern about three feet off the ground and flashes a one-second signal about every five seconds. If a female, watching from the bushes, is interested in what she sees, she responds after two seconds with a half-second flash. They keep signaling until the male reaches the female.
Within most firefly species, the male acts independently to attract a mate. Some species, however, put on a grand show synchronizing their flashes. Scientists believe this is to help the females ensure they are signaling to and preparing to mate with members of their own species and not a predatory species. According to those who have experienced it, the pulsing light on a dark night is spectacular!
Although fireflies’ lights are used mostly to attract mates, some species also use them in a more nefarious way - to attract a meal. The females, in particular, will learn and mimic the signal of other local species females, and when the males land to mate, she kills and eats them. In this way, the females are able to ingest the males’ toxic chemicals for their own protection and to pass them along into their eggs.
Fireflies are considered beneficial to humans. Their larval stage is an efficient predator of many pests such as slugs, snails, and the larval forms of several insects. A surprising benefit is what scientists learn from fireflies is being used in medical science. One of the chemicals involved in producing fireflies’ light has been modified and is being used in medical imaging, such as locating cancer or other diseased cells and creating new drugs to treat them. They are also used to detect spoiled food and bacterial contamination.
Fireflies also assist in fields such as engineering, computer science, and economics by providing the basis for “the firefly algorithm”. This is a set of rules used for finding the best solution to an optimization problem (one that has many solutions and the best is being sought), based on the flashing behavior of fireflies. How cool is that? Probably way cool if “algorithm” is a word in your daily vocabulary.
Main Resources:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Natural History Museum of Utah
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Are you like me and find this time of year beautiful and inspiring but your allergies don’t so much enjoy it? I take daily allergy medications which help but not as much as I’d like. What do you do? Any suggestions, even for just dealing emotionally? If so, please use the comment button at the bottom of the page.
Peace,
Dakota Duncan
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This sentence struck a chord: " my equipment is leaving me little room to actually work." Oh, yeah, I can totally relate.
Loved learning more about these fascinating creatures -- thank you!