#lightning bugs or fireflies

[headspace-hotel]

It's really wild to me how little fireflies have been studied, with how charismatic they are. I can barely find photos online or any information at all on most species, and videos? Forget it.

They barely even get any attention from conservation public outreach.

Y'all don't like lightning bug?💡Blink blonk?

#fireflies #lightning bugs #insects #nature #conservation

[camelidae]

Some nights it's hard to pick which stars to look at~

#horse #fireflies #lightning bugs #horse art #illustration #colored pencils #prismacolor

[mishapeep]

Uh, I saw your post and you mentioned that you teach the kids... how do I put it... that are given to you at social functions due your park ranger aura for safekeeping how to tell the difference between predatory lightning bugs and normal lightning bugs.

And then you didn't tell us that secret! May I ask you to share the difference between predatory lightning bugs and normal ones?

Thank you very much :)

By popular demand and because this was the most polite ask: how to tell the predatory lightning bugs from the non-predatory lightning bugs.

First, there are over 2000 species in Lampyridea. I am not qualified to distinguish between all that. I grew up in Northern Ohio (71 species) and every year summer wasn’t official until the lightning bugs came out in the evenings (usually the first or second week of June).

This is our first clue. The first lightning bugs out each evening are a species of non-predatory chaps. Their glow goes in a special pattern. Flash, pause, “J” shaped flight about 2 -3’ off the ground. Repeat. Their glow is more yellow and lingers. These are the males of Photinus pyralis or the common eastern firefly. They look like this:

(Photo from iNaturalist: a lightning bug beetle, mostly black with gold lines around the wing casing. Head shield is yellow with a red “eye” with black iris in the center. Rounded front and back, long down the center.)

Their females hide in tall grasses waiting for the right suitor. If you’re lucky and clever you can see her dimmer flash in the grass beaconing the males closer.

As the dark of night progresses you’ll start to see a quicker, brighter, greener flash. Blip, blip, blip, blip, long pause. They are FAST! They’ll also mimic the flashes of Photinus females. These are usually higher up off the ground. Even in the trees! These lightning bugs aren’t looking for love.

Photuris (not gonna get to specific epitaph on this one without a sample and a key) are looking for dinner!

(Photo from blog.greatparks.org another lightning bug beetle. This one is slightly larger than the non-predatory bug. It has “shoulders” and extra gold lines running through the back. Its legs are longer and its shield is more “sharp”. The shield marking is less like an eye and more like a yellow D where the inside is a red triangle with a black line running through.)

Another way to tell is to go out at night and catch a bunch of lightning bugs (if you can; I hear they’re getting scarce). Offer them a slice of apple. If you wake up in the morning to only a few and the rest are dead, good chance you found some predators. (This is how I found out about them! Wooops!!)

Lightning bugs are freaking magical. I’m so sad to hear that they are yet another wonder that we are losing at an alarming rate. If this bugs you as much as it bugs me there are a few things you can do to help them:

1) do not spray for mosquitoes! That spray is not-species specific. It’s bad for lightning bugs. It’s bad for monarch butterflies. It’s bad for birds. It’s bad for bats. It’s bad.

2) kill your lawn. But Misha! You said they breed in the grasses! True! However native plants are going to provide so much more habitat for these guys than a gross monoculture of Kentucky bluegrass ever will. The Midwest has some of the best native plant nurseries in the country! Use that resource!

3) Advocate for them and donate to conservation if you’re able. Bugs don’t have voices and they fight an uphill battle just for being a bug.

Thanks for joining my ranger talk! Support your parks.

#lightning bug #fireflies #firefly #glow worm #bug #bugs #beetles

[gmt1999]

Endangered Fireflies & Conservation

Fireflies are at risk of extinction due to habitat destruction, light pollution, and pesticide use. Recovery efforts started in 2023 for the 18 endangered species in North America. Almost 1 in 3 firefly species in the US and Canada are threatened with extinction.

Scientists have yet to prove the effectiveness of these steps due to limited research on firefly populations. However, there is evidence suggesting that human activities may contribute to the decline of fireflies. So, here's what you can do:

Turn off outside lights during nighttime hours

Allow logs and leaves to naturally decompose in your yard

Incorporate areas of water into your landscaping

Refrain from using pesticides in your yard

Avoid excessive mowing of your lawn

Plant native tree species in your yard.

Please take a moment to explore resources related to firefly conservation:

Discover articles from the Xerces Society on firefly conservation: https://www.xerces.org/endangered-species/fireflies

Watch a video from the Canadian Permaculture Legacy on saving fireflies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McjHyQMf5eQ

Learn more about the Firefly Conservation & Research organization: http://www.firefly.org/

Explore their articles on how you can contribute to firefly conservation: https://www.firefly.org/how-you-can-help.html

If you have spotted fireflies in your area, please report your sightings here: https://www.firefly.org/firefly-sightings.html

#fireflies #firefly #lightning bug #bugs #insects #conservation #endangered species #north america #Xerces Society #Fire fly #extinction #environment #cottagecore #gardening #permaculture #agriculture #light pollution #Canada #United States #habitat destruction #habitat loss #restoration #glow worm

[chaptertwo-thepacnw]

summer nights in springfield.

#gif #the simpsons #lisa simpson #bart simpson #fireflies #firefly #lightning bugs #summer nights #summertime

[herestonow]

Went on a little firefly hike the other night

Instagram | Cohost

#fireflies #lightning bug #lensblr #photographers on tumblr #original photographers

[mothmonarch]

🐛 Have you checked out the shop lately? 🦋 Home of the Celestial Insects series & the original screen-printed Bugdanas (which are starting to return!) along with lots of other unique creations celebrating the great and small treasures of nature! 🛍👉 http://shop.mothmonar.ch Exclusive & original designs by one independent artist (hello!) ✨

#bugblr #insects #entomology #bugs #moth #stag beetle #centipede #stickers #enamel pin #firefly #lightning bug #roly-poly #artists on tumblr #millipede #entofashion

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

This neatly-colored firefly appears to be Pyractomena sp., not a genus I see too often. I did not get to see it light up but it was still pretty cool.

#lightning bug #firefly #Lampyridae #beetle #Coleoptera #insect #Pyractomena #bug of the day #BotD

[raticalshoez]

SECRET LIFE SPOILERS!!!

Some Secret Life traditional sketches of Session 6! My digital art was looking doodoo so I tried to fight artblock by going back to paper. MY CAMERA SUCKS THOUGH. Maybe I'll transfer to digital someday.

Edit: FUCK. I FORGOT JOEL HAS THE LIFE MERCH ON THIS SEASON.

Close-ups under cut!:

#trafficblr #secret life smp #ethoslab #smallishbeans #solidaritygaming #grian #ldshadowlady #inthelittlewood #zombiecleo #uhhhh some notes to make my designs make a little sense #joel's a firefly! also known as a lightning bug uh cause yknow....lightning! Joel Empires 2 reference!!! #etho has antlers because he and gem were just so sibling coded I couldn't resist #maybe one day i'll post a full line up of designs #still not over that joel and martyn scene btw. it haunts me for days....(it has only been roughly two days) #what is up with joel and martyn? #from: “get away from me you psycho!” and “you better clear your throat before i clear your clock!” #to: “somebody tell martyn to hide!” and “martyn- stay away martyn! we can't lose another person!” #insanity.

[moldspace]

a firefly 🔥 and a lightning bug ⚡ complete with glow-in-the-dark butts!

#art #my art #sculpture #glow in the dark #bugs #insects #firefly #lightning bug #papier mache #hehehe... puns

[seeminglydark]

Next prompt, firefly chasing from @dreamcatcher-ranger via ask

i LOVE this idea so much, thats why i waited on it til i was close to done, i really wanted to do something fun with it. I dont think fireflies are native to western washington state, so i decided it would be really sweet for John to show them sometime, if they ever visit somewhere southeast, close to where hes from. (yes thats right, childhood pals but he moved there when he was about 5!)

the first time i saw fireflies i thought i was tripping on something.

the second time i saw them, i had broken into a graveyard after hours for reasons (the reason was nothing nefarious, i was looking for someone) somewhere in Indiana, and the etherealness of watching tiny flickering lights dance among the willows and gravestones is burned into my brain for eternity.

ps i didnt answer this as an ask cuz often it clips out the art unless the viewer clicks it, so i figured id do it this way so the piece can shine through, cuz i love it.

#sketch prompts #fireflies #now you know why he has a dif dialect/accent than caro just a bit #original characters #lightning bugs #something like hope #ghost stories #chasing dreams and fireflies

[headspace-hotel]

Did y'all know that there are like dozens of kinds of lightning bugs in the US? And that scientists are only just now discovering how many there are? And they tend to be extremely localized so some are INCREDIBLY rare and only found near this one specific farm pond or something? EEEEEEEEE LIGHTNING BUGS

#lightning bug #firefly #creatures #animals

[aeb-art]

they never went, but it was a nice thought at least

geo belongs you @8um8le as always 🙇

edit: realized this is a good soundtrack for this comic

#2024 #i love his room it's so pretty #stellar city #sc geo #self ship #self insert #sc ash #i said lightning bug instead of firefly bc of geo's storm clouds btw- i also called him that as a petname in another comic for that reason #y'know making all this art of geo with my sona has me thinking that what geo'd like most about dating is that he gets to feel normal #yeah maybe he wants a mundane life a lot more than the dating part but it's a nice bonus while he has it #and man after shit hits the fan later he's REALLY gonna be yearning for that normal life 😭 but no he's gonna be stuck with cat #i'm so glad i did the yellow accent instead of white space man i love yellow with greys so much #idk how i feel about the ending to this still but nothing felt right- this works tho i wouldn't post it if it didn't work #anyways everybody have a lovely day !!! xoxo

[faviconarchive]

do u have any firefly themed favicons? ty in advance :]

Here you go!!

#favicons #bug #bugs #firefly #lightning bug #carrd resources #rentry resources #web graphics #pixels #pixel graphics #fireflies

[serafinelea]

All these bugs :3

All except the Luna Moth are available on my inprnt store or for tattoo tickets

#bugs #insects #moth art #luna moth #tattoodesign #tattoo #firefly #lightning bug #occult #pagan #cicada #southern #cinnabar

[fadedrainbowbookshelves]

"What's that you got?"

"Lampyridae. You scared it."

#welcome home #welcome home fanart #frank frankly #eddie dear #eddie x frank #frank x eddie #I think Frank would be a very quiet kid. Definitely can get him to open up about his special interests tho #Fun fact: I (and probably) Eddie refer to them as lightning bugs instead of fireflies. Regional names are so interesting #lil babies!! #Unaffiliated with the incredible Welcome Home creation I'm just a fan having fun!