Fireflies
Table of Contents
Introduction
Glow worm (lampyris noctiluca)
"These small luminescent invertebrates are more beetle-like than worm-like, with its scientific name translation meaning 'night shining fire lamp'. The males have hard cases which cover the wings when they are not in use, and the females are wingless and dark brown. Females sit waiting to mate whilst emitting a yellowish-green light." - https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/species-explorer/terrestrial-invertebrates/glow-wormÂ
Glowing to Mate
"Darting through the night air, creating a scintillating display of wonder with its luminous beauty, the firefly puts on quite a display. And while different to humans, in many respects fireflies and humans share a fundamental trait â the males are the main flashers, who cruise at night in search of a female.
Also like their human counterparts behavior (if youâll excuse the gross generalization!), the female firefly will respond with a favorable blink to a worthy suitor. To detect these blinks, which are often far off, or pulsating amongst any number of firefly signals, the male is equipped with large eyes and a visor for ultra-mating focus.
These famous blinks come from segments located on the underside tip of its abdomen. Here, certain chemicals are released, which react to the presence of oxygen with a blaze of light before theyâre soon exhausted. The body then quickly charges in time for the next burst, which produces the distinguished flashing effect.
If one can detect a sense of urgency in the fireflyâs flash, itâs because theyâre in a hurry to mate due to their short life span. The larvae produced from this hurried courtship, who are luminous from an early age, feed on snails by paralyzing them. Adult fireflies, however, are believed not to eat at all.
In order to feed their larvae, fireflies are drawn towards temperate or tropical places, particularly wet, wooded areas such as rainforest where thereâs an abundance of food. During the larvae stage, fireflies will hibernate over winter, burrowing underground or hiding under the bark of trees. The larvae will then emerge in spring to feast.
Interestingly, the flash produced by fireflies is a âcold lightâ, having no ultraviolet or infrared frequencies. This chemically sourced light, which can be yellow, green or pale-red, projects wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers." - https://www.thalabeach.com.au/fireflies/Â
General Resources on Fireflies
The Evolution of Firefly Nuptial Gifts "This international research collaboration revealed a surprising evolutionary link between male gift-giving habits"
4:45min video. Very interesting study finds about insect evolution of flightless females among multiple genetic branches.
Facts About Fireflies "Interested in learning more about fireflies? Here are a few fascinating facts you may not know."
How to Build a Firefly Habitat "Gardeners often donât realize gardens make for great firefly habitat, helping to replace lost natural habitat. ... The trick is to make your garden as inviting as possible for fireflies to take up residence."
Can I raise fireflies? "Because they have a complex life cycle, raising fireflies is very difficult. To get from egg to adult, you will need to work out conditions that promote survival not just for the eggs, but also the larval and pupal stages. So far, scientists have been able to successfully rear just a few Asian firefly species (Luciola cruciata, Aquatica lateralis, and Aquatica ficta), all with aquatic larval stages."
Fun ThingsÂ
Math and Science teachers may appreciate this.
"Fireflies" Fun, interactive, and educational. Play with online "fireflies", adjust their numbers, their internal clocks, and how they interact with their neighbors to better understand their fascinating abilities. Also available in:
äžæ (Chinese) : âè€ç«è«â
Deutsch (German) : âGlĂŒhwĂŒrmchenâ
Français (French) : âLuciolesâ
"ŚŚŚŚŚŚŚŚȘ" :ŚąŚŚšŚŚȘ (Hebrew)    Â
Magyar / hungarian : "SzentjĂĄnosbogĂĄr - MĂ©csbogĂĄrâ
PortuguĂȘs (Brazilian Portuguese) : "Vagalumesâ
pŃŃŃĐșĐžĐč (Russian) : âĐĄĐČĐ”ŃĐ»ŃŃĐșĐžâ
(tĂŒrkçe / Turkish) - "AteĆ Böcekleri"
Photographing the Common Eastern (USA) Firefly (Photinus pyralis) photos and information on how to get great pictures of fireflies even in flight ([We need to ask around to see if bug people feel like this photography link is OK to share, or would be harmful])
Femme Fatales: Mimicry & Murder
"Some feisty females exploit this unique mating ritual. Females of the genus Photuris use âaggressive mimicryâ to secure a feed. When males of another genus flash, the female responds with the flash pattern. She lures the male in, and once close enough, she eats him.
This deviant behavior comes down to defense. Unlike other species, adult females of the genus Photuris donât produce chemical defenses. This leaves them as easy pickings for predators. By eating the males, his chemical defenses are transferred to the female, providing her with protection until she mates. But the males have clued in, learning to spot the phonies to avoid being duped." - https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2014/10/12/lightning-bugs-natures-flash-dancers/
Threats to Fireflies
Firefly Festivals & Tourism
These bring large crowds of tourists to delicate ecosystems. These tourists don't understand the delicacy of these insects nor the environments that they live in. There is generally little understanding of the harm that camera flashes do at these vital times in the insect's reproductive cycle. As a result habitats are damaged, fire flies fail to find mates, and their numbers drop further.
Fireflies face extinction risk - and tourists are partly to blame "Firefly tourism is on the rise globally but scientists are warning it may contribute to risk of the insect's extinction." "...firefly tourism is often crucial to local economies and should not be banned." "Instead tour operators and tourists can develop eco-friendly practices." Article explains the problem and solutions.
Habitat Loss
Loss of mangroves dims the light on firefly populations in Malaysia "Researchers, who used satellite imagery to monitor changes in land use, found that conversion of Rembauâs mangroves to oil palm plantations and dryland forests were the top two factors behind the loss."
Insecticides
Light Pollution
Harvesting / Poaching / Wild Fireflies
China: Headed for Endarkenment? "According to this article by reporter Zeng Jinqiu for Beijing News, villagers in rural areas can still make a pretty penny harvesting adult fireflies. Unfortunately, these adults only live for about one week, and once removed from their native habitat, theyâre unable to successfully reproduce.
Who is buying live Chinese fireflies? It looks like the biggest consumers are giant new indoor amusement parks that have popped up in various cities, and which put on live firefly shows for paying customers.
âWe have arranged a meeting with the fireflies⊠After a long disappearance, fireflies suddenly appeared ⊠thousands of fireflies flying, shining in the dark, as bright as the stars,â announced a recent advertisement for MAG Universal Magic World, one amusement park located in the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
During April 2017 this park hosted ten live firefly exhibitions. At each event, they displayed a few thousand fireflies, which were housed in glass bottles, shaken periodically to encourage flashing. Because each night many fireflies died, they were replaced with fresh ones.
In a single year, with similar large-scale exhibitions of live fireflies happening all over China (see map), the lights of several hundred thousand fireflies were permanently extinguished.
The Chinese environmental group è€ç«è«çæçșż (Firefly Ecological Line) has been speaking out and organizing protests against such firefly exhibitions. But they say that even if they can convince Chinese amusement parks to halt their live firefly shows, ordinary people remain eager to purchase fireflies. Thatâs because these luminous creatures are perceived as very romantic gifts. For instance, on the popular online shopping platform Taobao you can purchase live fireflies (è€ç«è«) to enliven birthdays, engagements, anniversaries and for Qixi Festival (the Chinese equivalent of Valentineâs Day). Some online shops offer 30 fireflies for 120 yuan (around $17.40, or 60Âą per firefly), while wholesalers sell packages of 300 live fireflies for as little as 100 yuan (20Âą per firefly). Meanwhile, back in rural areas, a typical firefly hunter earns less than 1Âą per firefly captured, notes Dr. Xinhua Fu, a firefly expert at Huazhong Agricultural University. Clearly, trafficking in live fireflies is a lucrative business."
"In China, as in most countries, fireflies currently enjoy no legal protection, so itâs difficult to halt commercial firefly harvesting. But firefly conservationists all agree on the urgent need for better educational outreach. Once people understand the fragility of their natural environment, they will want to protect it. And when people learn about the life cycle and habitat requirements of fireflies, they can begin to appreciate both their ecological and their cultural value.
The Chinese government will need to act quickly to identify and protect natural areas where fireflies thrive. Certain areas could be carefully developed into focal sites for ecotourism, encouraging people to enjoy viewing fireflies in their natural habitat. Firefly ecotourism also offers an alternative to collecting, as it provides long-term, sustainable economic benefits for local villagers. At the same time, research should focus on improving methods to artificially rear fireflies for use in museums and educational exhibits."
How fireflies are helping us fight COVID-19 "Each summer the Sigma Chemical Company recruited a small army of collectors that got paid ~50 cents per 100 fireflies; a $20 bonus awaited anyone who sent in 200,000 fireflies. All told, Sigma extracted luciferase from about 90 million wild-caught fireflies!! "
Japanese Fireflies: Harvested for Beauty "By some estimates, firefly vendors sold three million wild insects to city folk every June and July. Soon, firefly populations began to dwindle due to over-collecting, river pollution, and habitat loss."
We harvested 100 million U.S. fireflies? "Believe it or not, from 1960 until the mid-1990s, the Sigma Chemical Company (now called Sigma-Aldrich) harvested about 3 million wild fireflies every year. Each summer, they ran newspaper ads to recruit thousands of collectors across the U.S., who got paid a penny per firefly (with a $20 bonus if they sent in more than 200,000 fireflies).
They extracted firefly luciferase, the light-producing enzyme, then sold it for use in food safety testing and research.
But synthetic luciferase has been available since 1985. Not only is this synthetic enzyme cheaper and much more reliable, but it also preserves the firefly populations that are part of our shared natural heritage.
No one knows for certain, but itâs quite likely that such widespread firefly harvesting has led to local extinctions, especially of some rarer species. For instance, Photinus punctulatus fireflies were quite common in eastern Kansas in the early 1960âs, but Larry Buschman, a firefly expert living in Kansas, hasnât seen any of these fireflies in recent years."
Solutions
Petition Against Activities That Harm Fireflies & Their Habitats
This level 4 action can help signal to politicians that we do care about the environment, and help convince them to help protect our ecosystems.
International
Become an advocate for âDark Skiesâ policies to control light pollution in your area.
Asia
China
Europe
North America
Mexico
USA
Build a Firefly Habitat
"Gardeners often donât realize gardens make for great firefly habitat, helping to replace lost natural habitat. The common firefly â the Big Dipper firefly (Photinus pyralis) â readily takes to an organic habitat. The trick is to make your garden as inviting as possible for fireflies to take up residence.
Gardens are meccas for food fireflies eat. If you have fought off snails, slugs, various insects, worms then fireflies can lend a hand by helping to control these pests.
Fireflies spend up to 95% of their lives in larval stages. They live in soil/mud/leaf litter and spend from 1-2 years growing until finally pupating to become adults. This entire time they eat anything they can find. As adults, they only live 2-4 weeks. Females that have mated successfully need a place to lay eggs. They will lay eggs in many spots, but gardens offer an oasis with a source of soil moisture good for larval development.
Other Ways to Attract Fireflies
Assess your soil health.
If you have poor soil, introduce nutrients such as bag compost, leaves, and organic matter.
Till your soil or use a no-till technique such as using a broadfork to open soils. This is especially important if working in a native area to avoid disruption of habitat. Tilling or using a broadfork to loosen soil adds some aeration and prevents soil from compacting.
Avoid use of broad spectrum pesticides, especially lawn chemicals.
Turn off outside lights and advocate & support local âDark Skiesâ policies to control light pollution.
Buy land to protect species.
Let log and leaf litter accumulate. Segment an area of your land/yard to remain in a natural state.
Plant trees and native grasses. Grasses and forbs help retain soil moisture.
Certify Your Yard In the USA you can certify with the The National Wildlife Federation or your local area may have their own certification program such as the Wildscapes: Texas Wildscapes Certification.
Leaving worms, snails, and slugs for firefly larvae to feed on. Poisons unfortunately kill predators like fireflies, amphibians, and birds.
Do NOT introduce earthworms to your garden - as these can be invasive species that push out native species and cause ecological problems.
The Wet Bag Trick
Donât rake leaves and put them on the curb. You are raking up firefly larvae and throwing them away.
Collect bags of leaves to make âBag Compostâ. Collect 5-15 bags.
Wet bags down in a shady lawn area. Keep moist/wet for 3-6 months or up to a year.
Bags will attract snails/slugs. This is food for growing fireflies.
In Spring, put bag compost in your garden. Put it in mounds and till it into your soil.
Repeat each year. It might take as long as 5 years, or as quick as that same year, to get fireflies in your garden.
Report SightingsÂ
Citizen science like this can help scientists and conservation efforts.
North America
Firefly Watch Community Science Project "Firefly Watch combines an annual summer evening ritual with scientific research. Join a network of community scientists around the country by observing your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies."
Français
Les missions spéciales de l'Observatoire des Vers Luisants "Une petite balade de 200 à 300 m prÚs de chez vous, environ une heure aprÚs le coucher du soleil, par temps clair, durant laquelle vous comptez les vers luisants de part et d'autre du chemin à l'aller et au retour. C'est peu pour vous, mais beaucoup pour nous ! Nous vous préparerons un itinéraire approprié et une fiche de mission, qu'il vous suffira de nous retourner complétée par mail."
L'observatoire des vers luisants et des lucioles "Avez-vous dĂ©jĂ vu des vers luisants ou des lucioles ?" "Vous n'avez jamais vu de ver luisant ? S'il-vous-plaĂźt, remplissez quand mĂȘme ce formulaire. Il est important de disposer d'un nombre suffisant de jardins sans ver luisant pour comparer."
Click the Citizen Science button to explore opportunities to help support scientists and conservation work! Explore the international options and scroll down to see opportunities by region (continent and country).Â
Additional
Common Names from Around the World
English: The names of the fireflies
What we call fireflies or glow worms in English have different names in other languages:
In Portuguese they are known as pirilampo.
In French: ver luisant, and the species that shine during the flight: pike.
In Spanish, people call them luciérnagas or gusanos de luz
In German, they are called GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen or JohanniskĂ€fer.
In Dutch, glimworm or vuurvliegje.
In Swedish and Norwegian, sankthansorm or ildflye.
In Finnish, kiiltomato.'
In Hindi, they are jugnu.
Español: "Los nombres de las luciérnagas
Lo que en español se llaman luciérnagas o gusanos de luz recibe distintos nombres en otros idiomas:
En portugués son conocidas como pirilampo.
En francés responden al nombre de ver luisant, y las especies que brillan durante el vuelo, lucioles.
En inglés como glow-worms, o con el genérico fire-flies, que designa a todas las especies de luciérnagas.
En alemĂĄn, se llaman GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen o JohanniskĂ€fer.
En neerlandés u holandés, glimworm o vuurvliegje.
En sueco y noruego, sankthansorm o ildflye.
En filandés, kiiltomato." - https://www.gusanosdeluz.com/luciernagas/los-nombres-de-las-luciernagas/
Firefly Watching Ethics
"Like the bird watchers or Birders as they called themselves, there are ethics in firefly watching too. Birders do not make noise or make unnecessary movements during a watch. So what about fireflyers?
If you are watching fireflies:
Make sure you do not bring a gigantic, strong spotlight. If you have a torch, use a blue light. Place a piece of blue plastic as a light filter for your small torch. Blue light normally do not disturb fireflies.
Get a good digital SLR camera for taking firefly light shows. Use a tripod and a self timer for those fantastic light shows. If you have a simple compact camera, use a tripod or on an immovable object. Experiment around with the camera settings on ISO, exposure settings and pixels.
For individual firefly shots (i.e. for identification purposes and recordings only). If it always fly around without resting on a vegetation, use a specialist insect fine net to catch the firefly without disturbing the rest too much, or sometimes you can cusp the animal with your hands. Do it gently, even though it is a beetle, but they are quite fragile. Put it in a jar, and photographed against a dark background. For close up shots of the firefly use a supermacro with an external light source that is a normal torch light. It is best to photograph the animal against the natural background. If you have a chance to do it without netting it while it is on a leaf, then you can use a macro or a telescopic lens with a flash light setting. Photographing them in the dark is not always easy, so you can try it in the daytime, while they are resting under the leaf, usually the do not move. This is easy for the congregating fireflies, but hard to find the individual ones.
Always return the fireflies unharmed. Do not keep them too long for photography. The chances of mating is slim and the period for them âtalkingâ to each other through their flashes and successes depends on their communication period window.
Try not to or use too much of the insect repellant. No insect repellant when handling a firefly.
Be quiet to enjoy the firefly show and the forest.
No collection of firefly adults and larvae, especially the non-congregating species, as they are site specific and not many. They do not live long.
Watch where you step on. Be on the look out for the glowing firefly larvae, the wingless female adult firefly of certain species, ovipositing female fireflies on the forest floor or the multi light starworm (not in the firefly family but a separate family on its own)
No pulling apart two mating fireflies.
No smoking please. No littering.
Please do report to the authorities if you see any disturbances to a firefly habitat site.
Definitely NO squishing, squashing, smacking, or plucking the appendages of fireflies, ie no killing or harming.
If you are a firefly watching guide:
There are ways of operating a firefly watching activity. You must make sure that the visitor:
Obeys the safety rules- e.g. âlife jacketâ if using a boat
Give a briefing beforehand (on safety, on fireflies, etc.)
Be aware about the environment e.g. do not litter
Do not collect or disturb or destroy the fireflies and the display trees
Bring a tiny torchlight for safety reason with a blue light bulb or wrapped with blue plastic
Tell the visitors not to use flash photography directly
Tell them to enjoy the serenity and do not disturb others
Do not walk unguided through a sensitive conservation zone; some mangroves do have crocodiles
Have a knowledge of other natural phenomenon, wildlife at night
Do not smoke
Please do report any disturbances to a firefly habitat to the authorities." - https://malaysianfireflies.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/firefly-watching-ethics/
Tools
Here are a variety of resources and guides for how to ethically appreciate fireflies. We caution against catching them as this can cause accidental harm, but included guidelines for how to catch, photo, and breed them for those who are trying to help fireflies via scientific study or education. Some national and international monitoring programs may require you to catch specimens for identification.
If you can't find what you need in this section, scroll down to see if identification guides, groups, or other resources are listed under your continent or nation. We have resources in several languages including an entirely French section at the bottom of this page.
How to Catch a Firefly "Once you have a jar of fireflies, donât keep them for longer than a day or two. Let them go, preferably at night because thatâs when theyâre most active and able to avoid predators. If you keep them for longer, the fireflies are likely to die.
Some people remember crushing fireflies in their fingers to make their hands glow and keeping them in unventilated jars for several days. While this might not have caused serious damage to firefly populations in times when they were more plentiful, todayâs firefly numbers are dwindlingâso each one matters. Catch fireflies carefully, treat them gently and release them into the wild again when youâre done, and youâll be able to enjoy these fascinating creatures without causing any harm."
iNaturalist "Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe." Please be aware that the GPS can give away the locations of rare, endangered animals, but turning off the GPS and selecting a location in the general region may help to protect the animals from poachers.
Scientific Literature "... a list of scientific and popular firefly literature (over 2200 citations), concerning firefly taxonomy, ecology, biochemistry, and so much more. This list is periodically updated."
The Selangor Declaration â Conservation of Fireflies (PDF) "Participants from 13 countries met at the Second International Firefly Symposium in Selangor, Malaysia from 2nd to 5th August 2010. They included experts in the fields of taxonomy, genetics, biology, behavior, ecology and conservation of fireflies as well as members of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, corporations and the public. The theme of the symposium was âFirefly Conservation: From Science to Practice.â The following declaration was made in conjunction with the symposium at the Third International Firefly Research Network Meeting on 5th August 2010 and updated by the same body on the 25th November 2014."
After 4 years, in 2014, during the 4th International Firefly Symposium, the Selangor Declaration was relooked again. It was discussed, amended, agreed by the participants and updated"
World Firefly Day includes yearly date, a video, and interactive map of Fire Fly Day events.
International Groups
Fireflyers International Network an international group of firefly scientists and enthusiasts. They have citizen scientists from around the world gather vital data to help protect these important insects. The different branches of Fireflies International are listed in each region's Group listing.
IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group "Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are among the most charismatic insects on Earth. The mission of our IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group is to identify and work to conserve threatened firefly species around the world. Specific goals are to: (1) assess Red List status for 2000+ species (2) prioritize key threats and conservation issues facing fireflies in different geographic regions (3) identify knowledge gaps for future biodiversity research, and (4) advocate for threatened species at regional and global levels."
International Maps
Africa
African Resources
Fireflies of Africa Includes images. Community support for identifying your own sightings. Your sightings can help scientific and conservation programs.
South Africa
Fireflies General overview about fireflies from Ingwelala Nature Reserve in South Africa
Firefly Fact Sheet (South Africa subspecies: Lampyris nepalensis & Luciola tagensis) (PDF)Â
African Maps
Asia
Riverbank Development Threatens Malaysiaâs Congregating Firefly Habitats "Malaysia is one of the few South-east Asian countries blessed with the presence of congregating fireflies along its rivers. These fireflies often congregate on âdisplay treesâ along both sides of the mangrove-lined intertidal river and even up to 100 meters inland from the riverbank where they breed. The synchronous fireflies, one of the more well known amongst the congregating fireflies, is an ecotourism product which draws hundreds of tourists annually to the Kampung Kuantan area in Selangor thus contributing to the local and State economy.
The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) recently embarked on a six-month study to survey and document the current status of congregating firefly habitats in Peninsular Malaysia, a first of its kind here. MNS hopes that the results of this study will help to highlight the urgent need to improve river conservation to the Federal and State Government and agencies. This study is funded by the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.
Preliminary findings suggest that there are still many intact mangrove-lined rivers in Pahang, Terengganu, Perak and Johor that support healthy congregating firefly populations. However, their populations have been reduced to a single or two localities in the States of Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Penang respectively. Most of the rivers in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka have been cleared and bunded, thus eliminating the congregating firefliesâ habitats.
Through the course of these surveys, it was evident that congregating firefly habitats continue to be threatened primarily by riverbank clearing, strong light source and river pollution. Riverbank vegetation is often cleared and bunds erected to establish aquaculture (shrimp) farms and agriculture e.g. oil palm plantations. Unregulated dumping of chemicals used in these activities often end up into the rivers. Light pollution along the rivers in the form of spotlights from the aquaculture farms, fish farms, sand mining dredges, ports and factories creates additional negative impacts. These activities threaten the congregating firefliesâ life cycle and survival.
âThere are official records of 52 congregating firefly sites in Peninsular Malaysia of which 20 major rivers and tributaries have been surveyed to date and currently threatened by riverbank development as they are not protected. Of the remaining 32 rivers, some have been destroyed. The Sungai Linggi-Rembau firefly watching area is one such recent example,â says Sonny Wong, Senior Conservation Officer.
More disturbingly, healthy rivers that support congregating fireflies in the states mentioned above are also not spared as they face the possible threat in the form of flood mitigation measures. Although these projects have good intentions, they have affected several congregating firefly rivers previously such as Sungai Linggi-Rembau, Sungai Sedili Kecil, Sungai Johor and parts of Sungai Perak amongst others.
Thus, MNS would like to call upon the Federal and State Governments and its agencies to protect the remaining rivers that support congregating fireflies and re-examine its methods used in executing flood mitigation projects. The conservation of these rivers is not only important for the fireflies by also play crucial ecological functions. Furthermore, the presence of the fireflies in these rivers harbours ecotourism potentials. MNS hopes to present its final findings in due time to the relevant Federal and State Government agencies seek better solution(s) to conserve our congregating fireflies and its habitats.
It would be a national tragedy if the lights go out from these congregating fireflies in Peninsular Malaysia in the near future."
Asian Resources
Fireflies of Asia "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Asia." Includes images. Community support for identifying your own sightings. Your sightings can help scientific and conservation programs.
East Asia
China / äžćœÂ
ç±çŽæ”·è€ç«è« "ăç±çŽæ”·äșșć·„é„Čć »è€ç«è«æŸéŁçć(ć€èČè€ç«è«)éćźäžćżäžșćœć ææ©ä»äșè€ç«è«ć »æźăćčèČă仄ćè€ç«è«æŸéŁæŽ»ćšăæ æŻć°ć»șèźŸççç©ç 究æșæïŒç»èżććčŽçäžæćȘćïŒć·Čæć æŹæ°Žçăéçćšć çć äžȘè€ç«è«ćç§ćŻćźç°ć€§è§æšĄé„Čć »ăćžæéèżæ仏çćȘćèœćžźć©ćœć ççæè§ć ćäžćææ æžžæŻćșèżèĄè€ç«è«äșșć·„é„Čć »ćæ æŻć°çè„é ïŒć ¶ćșçšèćŽæäŒéČè§ć ,çŻćąæèČ,æ·ć€æąçŽąæŽ»ćšă..."
è€ç«è«æŻè§è°æ„äžæć»ș "This paper analyzes friefly about the concept of firefly landscape and the firefly landscape present research situation, and use the history of firfliesâ culture in our country as a background, then compare it with the situation in Japan, which people think highly of firefly and utilize them as landscape. This comparison reflect the situation that how we utilize the firefly as landscape, and the the requirement of rational construction of firefly landscape. By the case study of Aquatic fireflies, firstly, the paper analyzed the ecological enviroment in Zhejiang which firefly lived in and giving out the example of ecological cycle of aquatic fireflies. Whatâs more, this paper combined the result of field work, and discussed the effections of revetment enviroment and water quality that how they make contributions to the firefly habitat; Based on the field work in Japan, research compared the mode that Japan now used, and the firefly in each environment, and in order to offer a basic construction model for the Hangzhou firefly landscape."
Hong Kong / éŠæžŻÂ
Fireflies of Hong Kong éŠæžŻèąç«èČ "To document the distribution of fireflies all around Hong Kong. èšééŠæžŻçèąç«èČććžă"
éŠæžŻèąç«èČ Hong Kong Fireflies "æŹç¶Čç«ä»çŽčèąç«èČçç©ćžăćœąæ ćžćçæ ćžç„èïŒäșŠæ¶éć šéšć·Čç„çéŠæžŻèąç«èČćçšźè©łçŽ°èłæă "This website introduces firefly biology, morphology and ecology information. Details of all known fireflies species of Hong Kong is also included."
New non-synchronous congregating firefly from Hong Kong, threatened by development! (video)
Japan / æ„æŹÂ
Taiwan / ć°ććžÂ
Glowing with Pride Urban habitat restoration for fireflies in Taipeh
TĂŒrkiye /Turkey
AteĆ BöceÄi Gözlemleri, Fireflies of Turkey "BaĆta Ä°stanbul ve TĂŒrkiyeâdeki ateĆ böceÄi gözlemlerinin bir arada toplanması amacıyla sayfa oluĆturulmuĆtur."
Southeast Asia
Fireflies of the Philippines ''This project aim to collaboratively assess the biodiversity and distribution of fireflies at any life stage in the Philippines. Light pollution and riverbank modifications are pushing this family to extinction. The social and economic value of this species is immense but they have been struggling to gain the attention they need."
MNS Firefly Conservation Initiative - Malaysian Firely Blog "to share with people who likes fireflies"
Synchronous Flashing in Southeast Asian Fireflies - - "Fireflies use light to find and communicate with potential mates. Most North American firefly species are rovers, twinkling in the characteristic patterns of their species as the fly. Southeast Asian fireflies in contrast flash synchronously in a spectacular communal display for their mates."
Maylasia
'The word "Firefly" is commonly used in Malaysia. The local Malay name is called âkelip-kelipâ, âkunang-kunangâ, âkune-kuneâ or even âapi-apiâ depending on which area you are in.' - https://malaysianfireflies.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/firefly-2/
The Fireflies of Bukit Kiara (Poster) (PDF) From the Malaysian Nature Society 2019. The poster is an image of the brightly lit road along side the urban forest park, and individual images of bioluminescent insects and their larvae.
Fireflies in Kuala Selangor Nature Park "The Park is managed by the Malaysian Nature Society for the Selangor State Government since 1987, after it was rescued from being turned into a golf course. KSNP is located at the river mouth of the Selangor River on the southern bank. Bordered by mangroves, mudflats, aquaculture ponds and the town of Kuala Selangor, it is one of the few protected mangroves along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. An important reserve along the East Asia -Australasia Flyway of migrating birds from both hemispheres."
"At the ring walk, some former display trees do not have any fireflies, possible a change in the environment conditions. At the observation tower, the congregating fireflies are still there on the display trees. These are the non-synchronous fireflies."
"Although the KSNP is âprotectedâ, this yearâs annual maintenance of the inner bund and canal by the Dept. of Irrigation and Drainage, has destroyed the display trees along the opposite bank. The contractor made a mistake and used the other bank to maintain the canal. We will see how long will it take the fireflies to come back."
Species found in the park include "...probably Pteroptyx valida (to be confirmed) and the other possibly, a Colophotia spp (to be confirmed). A lone Pyrocoelia spp. with its yellowish light was spotted too. The congregating firefly colonies have moved around over the years, for some reasons unknown." Photos included.
Fireflies in Teluk Rubiah coastal hill forest "Coastal hill forest are usually much drier than inland hill forest. The damp areas are along the valleys and waterways. That is where the fireflies were observed most. Only a small area was surveyed, along a ridge (old road) between two valleys and the hill slope beside the rocky beach with a steam nearby." Includes Lampyrinae sub-family, Luciolinae sub family, Pyrocoelia larva and adult male, Ototretinae sub family, Rhagophthalmidae â another bioluminescence beetle, Starworm larva, and Stenocladus larvae.
Roving firefly in Kampung Terbang, Temengor photos and descriptions of some adults and a larva.
Sarawak Fireflies "A blogspot for for firefliers, firefly researchers and other interested to share knowledge and news on fireflies and firefly conversation."
Tioman Island Fireflies includes photos of fireflies and larvae collected during night surveys. Diapahnes, Pyrocoelia, Luciolinae, and possibly Curtos.
A short poetical documentary about Fireflies located in Kampung Kuantan, Malaysia.
The video is a final project for my Multimedia Design exam in Business Academy Aarhus.
Thailand
This giant firefly looks even weirder in the light "Of all the insects you could encounter in the forests of Thailand, this has to be one of the strangest."
Maps
Asia
Fireflies of Asia "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Asia."
Fireflies of the Philippines ''This project aim to collaboratively assess the biodiversity and distribution of fireflies at any life stage in the Philippines. Light pollution and riverbank modifications are pushing this family to extinction. The social and economic value of this species is immense but they have been struggling to gain the attention they need."
European Maps
AteĆ BöceÄi Gözlemleri, Fireflies of Turkey "BaĆta Ä°stanbul ve TĂŒrkiyeâdeki ateĆ böceÄi gözlemlerinin bir arada toplanması amacıyla sayfa oluĆturulmuĆtur."
Carmarthenshire Meadows, Wales / Dolydd Sir Gaerfyrddin, Cymru - - "... a map produced from the data held by LERC Wales which indicates the current reported colonies."
Fireflies of France "Tracking and learning about the Fireflies of France. Recherche sur les lucioles de France."
Fireflies of SW France "Tracking and learning about the Fireflies of south-west France. Recherche sur les lucioles du sud-ouest."
GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen-Blinkkarte "Auf folgender Karte sehen Sie einige Orte im GroĂraum Wiens, wo Sie GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen begegnen können. Bei den orangen Punkte wurden hunderte und mehr und bei den groĂen gelben Punkten ĂŒber 50 GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen gesehen."
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here." This map covers North and Central America including Iceland
Swiss glow worm survey, 2001 "People have seen Lampyris noctiluca higher than 2000 metres in the Alps on the sunny sides of the mountains). This map shows the regions where French or Italian is spoken, because our survey was only launched in the French area of our country (the few spots in the centre and south are in the Italian-spoken âCanton du Tessinâ where another glow-worm species is also present).
It is curious that this glow worm survey is in fact a map of the residential houses (in sunny place, southward): Geneva, north of Lake Geneva, north of Lake Neuchatel, and touristic villages in the Alps. They are all places where people have a garden and spend a part of the night outside in the summer.
We received very few observations from the agricultural zones â a surprise. But we donât know if people there tried to look for glow worms.
Yves Gonseth, director of the Swiss Centre for Fauna Cartography, is very happy with these results. Of course, they are not scientific. But he thinks that they are of value: before the survey, the centre had no idea of the status of glow worms in Switzerland. He has been surprised by the number of observations and their viability. In conclusion, glow worms are apparently everywhere in Switzerland and survive in the private gardens â a good thing. Hope it will be the same in the future...."
North America
Conserving the Jewels of the Night Includes a map of the USA and Canada demonstrating number of reported firefly species by region.
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Appalachian Mountains "Discover and compare the different species of fireflies and their abundance at different times of the year within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for and Honor's Research Project."
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Rocky Mountains "Analyze the diversity of Elateroidea during different seasons on the west coast in the Rocky Mountains"
Fireflies of NYC "Monitor and track the firefly populations across NYC from June - July"
Fireflies of Ontario (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Includes maps from page 56-87 in both Canada and the USA.
Firefly Atlas "This heat map shows the density of firefly records across North America. Zoom into the map to explore individual observations and specimen records. Clicking on a point will bring up a small pop-up with information on the species, date of observation or collection, and data source. Use the filters below to further refine the map and tailor your results." Â
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
Southwestern Firefly Finder "Fireflies are a rare sight in the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. That makes their flashing and glowing spectacles all the more enjoyable. This projects aims to better understand the distribution limits of these illusive beetles. Through the Western Firefly Project, which was expanded to New Mexico in 2021, the community will be drawing our attention to possible firefly localities throughout New Mexico and other southwestern states. Members of Southwest Firefly Finder will verify these sightings and submit data related to each finding here."
Oceana
Fireflies of Oceania "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Oceania (Australia + Pacific Islands)."
Australia
Atlas of Living Australia: Lampyridae Overview page includes map and links to other resources.
South America
Organizations & Groups
è€ç«è«çæçșż - Firefly Ecological Line -
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) / Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia "We have pioneered conservation in Malaysia for the last eight decades, making a difference through habitat conservation and environmental education. Through the joint efforts of our members, partners and supporters, MNS has become a strong voice for the protection of Malaysiaâs natural heritage. We will continue presenting our stand by promoting and ensuring responsible environmental stewardship in this country."
European Groups
Catalan
Grup Cucadellum (ICHN) "Cucadellum, grup d'estudi dels lampĂrids de Catalunya, i Ă©s un grup de treball de la ICHN."
Wales
North America Groups
Firefly Conservation & Research "a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by Ben Pfeiffer, a firefly researcher, and Texas-certified master naturalist with a degree in biology from Texas State University."
Fireflies of Central America "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Central America."
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
Groups in Oceana
Fireflies of Oceania "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Oceania (Australia + Pacific Islands)."
Wet Tropics Management Authority "Our mission is to lead, inspire, advise and support the Australian and global community to protect and share the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in perpetuity." "We acknowledge Rainforest Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the Wet Tropics and recognize their connection to this cultural landscape. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future." Learn about their volunteer opportunities at: https://www.wettropics.gov.au/volunteer
South America
Europe
Since the 1950s, there has been anecdotal evidence suggesting a decline in glow worm populations, not just in Britain, but in the whole of Europe. Only through recording glow worm sightings in Norfolk can we build a true picture of what is happening to this small but fascinating creature." - https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/species-explorer/terrestrial-invertebrates/glow-worm
Earth-Born Stars: Britainâs Secret Glow-worms 9:49 minute video "Short Wildlife Documentary submitted as part of my degree in Wildlife Documentary Production at the University of Salford.
The film focuses on the life-span of one of Britain's most adored yet mysterious insects, and explores the modern day threats and challenges posed to their future existence.
Discover more at buglife.org.uk. Buglife are the only conservation charity in Europe devoted to the conservation of invertebrates. Everything from glow-worms to garden spiders! You can support Buglife by joining or making a donation.
Report sightings at the fantastic U.K. Glow-worm survey page"
Auf DeutschÂ
GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen "Wo es GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen gibt, geht es Pflanzen und Tieren gut! Denn GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen sind Indikatoren fĂŒr naturnahe LebensrĂ€ume." Interessante Fakten ĂŒber GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen und mehr.
European Tools
Fireflies of Europe, iNaturalist list of known species, with observations. Contribute to science by including your own sightings, and get help identifying the species you find, or help others identify theirs.
Europe: citizen science â firefly survey - https://malaysianfireflies.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/french-firefly-survey-site/ - "If you are in Europe and likes to do summer night walks and you come across a firefly, please feel free to record it and send it to the websites below:"
Belgium:Â http://www.natuurpunt.be/news/ and http://waarnemingen.be/
France: Â http://www.observatoire-asterella.fr/vers_luisants/
Netherlands: http://www.waarneming.nl/ (sister site)
Spain: http://www.greguerias.es/Â
Switzerland:Â http://www.nvba.ch/index.php/de/component/content/Â
Beligië/Belgium
España/ Spain
Fireflies of Catalonia/Cuques de llum de Catalunya "Cucadellum, grup d'estudi dels lampĂrids de Catalunya, i Ă©s un grup de treball de la ICHN."
France
Fireflies of France "Tracking and learning about the Fireflies of France. Recherche sur les lucioles de France."
Fireflies of SW France "Tracking and learning about the Fireflies of south-west France. Recherche sur les lucioles du sud-ouest."
L'observatoire des vers luisants et des lucioles (français) "Avez-vous dĂ©jĂ vu des vers luisants ou des lucioles ?" "Vous n'avez jamais vu de ver luisant ? S'il-vous-plaĂźt, remplissez quand mĂȘme ce formulaire. Il est important de disposer d'un nombre suffisant de jardins sans ver luisant pour comparer."
Italia/Italy
Lucciole d'Italia (Coleoptera Lampyridae) (English) dedicated to Italian fireflies
Lucciole d'Italia (Coleoptera Lampyridae) (italiano) "... dedicato alle lucciole italiane"
UKÂ
The UK Glow worm Survey Home Page includes information about the UK's glow worms, where to find them, why they are declining, yearly glow worm evenings and walks, reports, book and literary suggestions, a movie, and more.
Deutschland / GermanyÂ
Meldung von Ereignissen in Deutschland (German/Deutsch): "Haben Sie in Deutschland GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen oder GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen gesichtet? Vielleicht möchtest du deine Beobachtung teilen und sende eine kurze Nachricht... Dazu mĂŒssen Sie lediglich die sieben Fragen aus dem untenstehenden Fragenkatalog kurz per E-Mail beantworten."
SĂ€chsische GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchenprojekt "Eine SEHR ausfĂŒhrliche Erfassung von Lamprohiza splendidula-Vorkommen in Sachsen mit hoher zeitlicher und rĂ€umlicher Auflösung" "Please let us know:
if you've spotted fireflies on a night hike
if you have looked for them in vain in certain places
if your parents or grandparents know places where fireflies used to be"
Schweizer / Switzerland
LeuchtkĂ€fer-Arten in der Schweiz (German/Deutsch), GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen Projekt DE:FR:IT
Schweizer GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchen Projekt "LeuchtkĂ€fersichtungssammlung fĂŒr die Schweiz und viel, viel Informationsmaterial (u.a. auch downloadbare Infos zur glĂŒhwurmgerechten Gartengestaltung)" "We would be happy if you report firefly observations to us!
The observation reports from Switzerland are received on the Citizen Science platform StadtWildTiere / Wilde Nachbarn."Ăsterreichische GlĂŒhwĂŒrmchenprojekt "Informationen der österreichischen Umweltberatung mit Meldungssammlung (inkl. einsehbarer Karte und Auflistung) und downloadbarer Infos zur glĂŒhwurmgerechten Gartengestaltung."
European Resources
BioluminescĂȘncia (portuguĂȘs) "Este Ă© um blog dedicado Ă bioluminescĂȘncia de todo o mundo, mas com particular destaque a Portugal. Poesias, reportagens, imagens, descriçÔes cientĂficas Ă© tudo bem vindo a este espaço."
Contribution à l'étude des Lampyridae de France (français) (PDF) "actualisation de leur distribution et observations en France"
Deutsche LeuchtkÀferarten: alles uber/all about Lampyris noctiluca, Lamprohiza splendidula, und Phosphaenus hemipterus auf Deutsch/in German.
Les cuques de llum (catalĂ / Catalan) "Les cuques de llum tambĂ© sĂłn conegudes en catalĂ amb altres noms com lluernes, llumeneres, llumenetes, llumetes, llanternes, cucs/papes de llum, papes llumeneres, cuques llumeres, cucs lluents, cucs de llumeneta, cuquets de llumeta, marietes de llum o papallums (Font: Viquipedia)" Aquesta font inclou noms i enllaços a informaciĂł sobre espĂšcies autĂČctones a Catalunya i espĂšcies exĂČtiques o no autĂČctones.
How to recognise central European glow-worm species includes diagrams and photos.
Pirilampo-lusitĂąnico (Luciola lusitanica) (portuguĂȘs) uma biografia de insetos do Parque BiolĂłgico de Gaia, com fotos
Projecto Pirilampos de Portugal portuguĂȘs (PDF) sobre adultos e larvas, com fotos
Seis coisas a saber sobre os pirilampos de Portugal (portuguĂȘs) "Em Fevereiro, cientistas alertaram para a possĂvel extinção de algumas das 2.000 espĂ©cies de pirilampos do planeta. O biĂłlogo JosĂ© Manuel Grosso-Silva conta-lhe seis coisas sobre as espĂ©cies de Portugal."
Startpunkt â LeuchtkĂ€fer in Deutschland (German/Deutsch) "Der neu ĂŒberarbeitete "Startpunkt â LeuchtkĂ€fer in Deutschland" soll allen, die mehr ĂŒber die deutschen LeuchtkĂ€fer erfahren wollen, mit einem ersten Ăberblick und Verweisen auf weiterfĂŒhrende Informationsquellen Starthilfe leisten. AuĂerdem werden hier Meldungen ĂŒber LeuchtkĂ€fer-Sichtungen innerhalb Deutschlands gesammelt."
North America
This section includes information for Central America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the USA.
Resources
The folloing is generally for two or more countries within North America. Scroll down to see more localized resources from Canada down to Central America.
A Naturalistâs Long Walk Among Shadows: of North American Photuris (PDF) Includes photos, maps, flashing graphs, and information about scientific techniques.
Biouminescent Insects "If itâs tiny, winged, and flashing in your backyard, it might be a fireflyâbut it might not. Other species of bugs also glow and use bioluminescence to communicate, find mates, and scare off predators. Here are a few bugs that are commonly misidentified as firefliesâand how to tell the difference."
Conserving the Jewels of the Night (PDF) "Guidlines for Protecting Fireflies in the United States and Canada." Includes photos, and breaks species up by groups: Flashing Fireflies, Glow-Worms, and Daytime Dark Flies, with a map of the USA and Canada demonstrating number of reported firefly species by region.
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Appalachian Mountains "Discover and compare the different species of fireflies and their abundance at different times of the year within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for and Honor's Research Project."
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Rocky Mountains "Analyze the diversity of Elateroidea during different seasons on the west coast in the Rocky Mountains"
Field Guide to Western North American Fireflies (PDF) includes coloured photos, graphes of flash patterns, maps, and details about specific parks and conservations areas in different US States.
Flashes, Behavior and Additional Species of Nearctic Photinus Fireflies (PDF)Â
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
North American Fireflies of the Genus Photuris (PDF) Includes flashing graphs, and sketches.
Canada
Conserving the Jewels of the Night (PDF) "Guidlines for Protecting Fireflies in the United States and Canada." Includes photos, and breaks species up by groups: Flashing Fireflies, Glow-Worms, and Daytime Dark Flies, with a map of the USA and Canada demonstrating number of reported firefly species by region.
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Appalachian Mountains "Discover and compare the different species of fireflies and their abundance at different times of the year within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for and Honor's Research Project."
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Rocky Mountains "Analyze the diversity of Elateroidea during different seasons on the west coast in the Rocky Mountains"
Field Guide to Western North American Fireflies (PDF) includes coloured photos, graphes of flash patterns, maps, and details about specific parks and conservations areas in different US States.
Fireflies of Ontario (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) (PDF) "A comprehensive illustrated digital key is provided for the 23 species of Lampyridae found in eastern Canada. Photinus consanguineus Leconte, Photinus sabulosus Green, and Lucidota punctata (LeConte) are added as new Canadian records, and Photinus ignitus Fall and Photinus indictus (LeConte) are added as new Quebec records. Phosphaenus hemipterus Fourcroy, Photinus curtatus Green and Photinus pyralis Linnaeus are added to the list of Ontario Lampyridae, while Photinus punctulatus LeConte and Photinus scintillans (Say) are deleted from the list following re-identification of specimens on which previous records were based. The key will also allow the identification of most species of firefly occurring in the northeastern United States." Includes maps.
Flashes, Behavior and Additional Species of Nearctic Photinus Fireflies (PDF)Â
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
Caribbean
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
Central America
Fireflies of Central America "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Central America."
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
Mexico
Biodiversity, Systematics, Biogeography and Conservation of Lampyridae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Mexico and Central America "Goal: Increase the knowledge of Mexican fireflies "luciernagas" associated with different vegetation types. To study the pattern of relationships among taxa and biogeographic pattern that have led to the diversity and distribution of fireflies in Mexico and Central America.
Analysis of intra and interspecific variation of firefly species with geometric morphometric and molecular tools focusing on species delimitation.
Designing field studies for Biodiversity Conservation of fireflies."Flashes, Behavior and Additional Species of Nearctic Photinus Fireflies (PDF)
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."Â
Revision of the Species of Pyropyga includes diagrams
Southwestern Firefly Finder "Fireflies are a rare sight in the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. That makes their flashing and glowing spectacles all the more enjoyable. This projects aims to better understand the distribution limits of these illusive beetles. Through the Western Firefly Project, which was expanded to New Mexico in 2021, the community will be drawing our attention to possible firefly localities throughout New Mexico and other southwestern states. Members of Southwest Firefly Finder will verify these sightings and submit data related to each finding here."
Universidad Nacional AutĂłnoma de MĂ©xico | UNAM · ZoologĂa, Doctor of Philosophy: Santiago Zaragoza-Caballero Studies in English: Hay estudios en español.
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México | UNAM · Department of Zoology, BSc Student: Ishwari Giovanni Gutiérrez-Carranza "My BSc thesis is focused on analysis and description of intraspecific variation of firefly species with geometric morphometric tools." Information in English: hay información en español.
Greenland
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
USA
This section covers the USA in general, with some state-specific resources at the bottom.
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Appalachian Mountains "Discover and compare the different species of fireflies and their abundance at different times of the year within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for and Honor's Research Project."
Elateroidea (Fireflies) of the Rocky Mountains "Analyze the diversity of Elateroidea during different seasons on the west coast in the Rocky Mountains"
Field Guide to Western North American Fireflies (PDF) includes coloured photos, graphes of flash patterns, maps, and details about specific parks and conservations areas in different US States.
Fireflies of Ontario (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) (PDF) "A comprehensive illustrated digital key is provided for the 23 species of Lampyridae found in eastern Canada. Photinus consanguineus Leconte, Photinus sabulosus Green, and Lucidota punctata (LeConte) are added as new Canadian records, and Photinus ignitus Fall and Photinus indictus (LeConte) are added as new Quebec records. Phosphaenus hemipterus Fourcroy, Photinus curtatus Green and Photinus pyralis Linnaeus are added to the list of Ontario Lampyridae, while Photinus punctulatus LeConte and Photinus scintillans (Say) are deleted from the list following re-identification of specimens on which previous records were based. The key will also allow the identification of most species of firefly occurring in the northeastern United States." Includes maps.
Flashes, Behavior and Additional Species of Nearctic Photinus Fireflies (PDF)Â
Mass Audubon Firefly Watch "Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing fireflies in your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies! Report your sightings, then share your photos here."
North American Fireflies of the Genus Photuris (PDF) Includes flashing graphs, and sketches.
Plants for Fireflies This list seems to focus on native plants in Texas, which may or may not be appropriate for other regions. Please research to make sure the plants you use are both native and appropriate for the bioluminscent insects in your region.
Revision of the Species of Pyropyga (PDF) includes diagrams
Southwestern Firefly Finder "Fireflies are a rare sight in the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. That makes their flashing and glowing spectacles all the more enjoyable. This projects aims to better understand the distribution limits of these illusive beetles. Through the Western Firefly Project, which was expanded to New Mexico in 2021, the community will be drawing our attention to possible firefly localities throughout New Mexico and other southwestern states. Members of Southwest Firefly Finder will verify these sightings and submit data related to each finding here."
New York
Fireflies of NYC "Monitor and track the firefly populations across NYC from June - July"
Texas
Field Guide: Fireflies of Texas "Texas is one of the most bio-diverse states in the continental US. A wide range of ecotypes â from wide open mountain ranges in the west, dense tall forests in the east, brush country of the south, and grasslands of the north â all contributing to extensive and exciting diversity in Texasâs firefly species. This field guide is the first attempt to document collectively the diversity of fireflies in Texas from a standpoint of both studying the morphological features but also documenting species specific behavior and flash patterns. This field guide is a work in progress, as new information is discovered it will be added here or updated frequently." Includes images, bios, and flashing charts.
Fireflies of Texas - Family Lampyridae "There are 40+ species of Lampyrids recorded from Texas" This resource includes photos of fire flies and some of their larva.
Plants for Fireflies This list seems to focus on native plants in Texas, which may or may not be appropriate for other regions. Please research to make sure the plants you use are both native and appropriate for the bioluminscent insects in your region.
Oceana
Australia
Only 3 glow worms have been described in Australia, but there are 25 known firefly species.
"Unlike ground-dwelling, luminescent glowworms, adult fireflies are winged. They flit around all continents bar Antarctica, preferring warm and wet wooded habitats. In Australia, fireflies inhabit the forests and mangroves along the coast of New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory." - https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2014/10/12/lightning-bugs-natures-flash-dancers/
Australiaâs fireflies among those in trouble amid global extinction threat "Australiaâs firefly species might be relatively unknown but theyâre still at risk of being decimated, as the global population feels the threat of extinction."
"Global experts in the insect (which are actually beetles, not flies) were surveyed by a team of researchers about how their particular countryâs firefly populations were thriving (or barely surviving).
The results revealed the worldâs population was at a high risk of extinction, mostly because of three key factors â and Australiaâs 25 species arenât immune.
Habitat loss was the main impactor on firefly population â and itâs been recently replicated here with the summer of bushfires, Australiaâs leading firefly expert says.
Lesley Ballantyne has been studying the critters since 1961, and said the country recently lost a population to the New South Wales bushfires.
When fire ripped through Kangaroo Valley, it took out a substantial number of Blue Mountain fire flies, Dr Ballantyne told The New Daily.
Now that population is gone and the area will have to be âre-invadedâ by the species, Dr Ballantyne said, but thereâs no guarantees that will work.
This particular population was only discovered a couple of years ago, and was in a bushy corner on someoneâs private property. Thatâs where youâll find most fireflies dwelling in Australia, Dr Ballantyne said.
Not a lot of people are aware the country has fireflies, let alone two dozen different species, because theyâre not in places commonly seen by the public.
âThey only live in areas where thereâs moist undergrowth,â Dr. Ballantyne said. And most of those areas â dense scrubland, rainforests, mangroves and national parks â tend to be inaccessible by the everyday person.
Mostly, youâll find them in Australiaâs top end and down the east coastline, she said. Occasionally, youâll be lucky to spot a couple in a suburban backyard in Brisbaneâs outer pockets.
Because of their inaccessibility, itâs relatively hard to measure Australiaâs firefly population.
In other countries, such as parts of Asia and the US, there are tourism promotions built around firefly season, Dr Ballantyne said. Ironically, some of these ventures are contributing to habitat loss, which is decimating populations.
Whereas in the US, scientists can use a range of factors to pinpoint exactly when the beetles will be firing, Australiaâs unpredictable seasons mean thatâs just not possible.
The life cycle of a firefly spans about two years, the majority of that spent as a caterpillar. Thereâs only about three weeks of a fireflyâs life when theyâre actually a âfireâ fly. Itâs usually in summer, but just when that is will depend on the previous two years of rainfall, Dr Ballantyne said.
While our firefliesâ lives depend precariously on our climate and environment, we donât have the added two factors that plague other countriesâ populations, at least not to the same degree.
In East Asia and Southern America, artificial light at night â illuminated billboards, street lights and the general glow from ever-expanding cities â is competing with and suppressing male firefliesâ natural instinct to glow and attract females.
An increased use of pesticides on agricultural land was the third identified global factor pushing down the population."
Resources
Atlas of Living Australia: Lampyridae Literature page, with links to other resources including occurrence records, sequences, classification, etc.
Blue Mountains Firefly Scientific name: Atyphella lychnus. Lean more here about their habitat, distribution, size range, , number of species, history lifecycle, breeding behaviors, and other behaviors/adaptations.
Fireflies of Oceania "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Oceania (Australia + Pacific Islands)."
Glow worms and fireflies "Both glow worms and fireflies are not worms and flies as their names suggest! You can read all about these insects here, as well as bioluminescence and how it used by insects and other life forms." from the Wet Tropics Management Authority.
iNaturalist Australia includes a variety of species including bioluminescent bugs like glow worms and fireflies including:
Oceana
Resources
Fireflies of Oceania "This is a Firefliers International (FIN) subproject meant to help organize the review and curation of bioluminescent beetles in Oceania (Australia + Pacific Islands)."
South AmericaÂ
ResourcesÂ
Informations en Français
Pollution lumineuse et bioluminescence
"La pollution lumineuse est un phĂ©nomĂšne que lâon associe Ă lâutilisation des Ă©clairages artificiels. Câest la consĂ©quence dâun dĂ©veloppement de lâurbanisation et des activitĂ©s humaines. Il y a pollution lumineuse lorsque la lumiĂšre artificielle propagĂ©e dans le ciel la nuit est supĂ©rieure Ă 10% de la luminositĂ© naturelle nocturne.
Dâun point de vue Ă©cologique, la pollution lumineuse modifie la composante nocturne de lâenvironnement et donc impacte les comportements et rythmes biologiques des organismes vivants et des Ă©cosystĂšmes.
Lâexposition Ă une source de lumiĂšre artificielle peut entraĂźner une rĂ©ponse rĂ©pulsive, autrement dit les individus sâĂ©loignent de la source de lumiĂšre (perception accrue du risque dâĂȘtre chassĂ© par un prĂ©dateur, dĂ©placements et recherche de nourritures limitĂ©s). Au contraire, chez les insectes nocturnes et les oiseaux migrateurs, organismes qui utilisent la lumiĂšre des astres pour se dĂ©placer dans lâobscuritĂ©, lâexposition Ă la pollution lumineuse entraĂźne une rĂ©ponse attractive, autrement dit les individus sâapprochent de la source de lumiĂšre.
Les espĂšces bioluminescentes, câest-Ă -dire les espĂšces capables de produire et dâĂ©mettre leur propre lumiĂšre, sont particuliĂšrement concernĂ©es, Ă lâimage des lucioles et des vers luisants qui utilisent des signaux lumineux pour attirer leurs partenaires (reproduction altĂ©rĂ©e)." - http://www.asterella.eu/NEOKIPOS/pollution_et_bioluminescence.php?pays=FRANCE&p=
OutilsÂ
Les missions spéciales de l'Observatoire des Vers Luisants "Une petite balade de 200 à 300 m prÚs de chez vous, environ une heure aprÚs le coucher du soleil, par temps clair, durant laquelle vous comptez les vers luisants de part et d'autre du chemin à l'aller et au retour. C'est peu pour vous, mais beaucoup pour nous ! Nous vous préparerons un itinéraire approprié et une fiche de mission, qu'il vous suffira de nous retourner complétée par mail."
L'observatoire des vers luisants et des lucioles "Avez-vous dĂ©jĂ vu des vers luisants ou des lucioles ?" "Vous n'avez jamais vu de ver luisant? S'il-vous-plaĂźt, remplissez quand mĂȘme ce formulaire. Il est important de disposer d'un nombre suffisant de jardins sans ver luisant pour comparer."
GroupesÂ
Groupe Associatif Estuaire "Il anime plusieurs observatoires : sur les vers luisants, les bourdons, les hĂ©rissons, les mares et libellules, etc. La structure propose Ă©galement de nombreuses activitĂ©s en lien avec la biodiversitĂ© et lâenvironnement et rĂ©alise de nombreuses actions de sensibilisation auprĂšs des Ă©coles et du grand public. "
L'Observatoire des Vers Luisants "LâObservatoire des Vers Luisants est un programme de sciences participatives qui permet de faire avancer la recherche, tout en impliquant le grand public. Ce programme sâarticule autour de deux volets : les Ă©tudes scientifiques et la sensibilisation. Ce projet vise Ă dĂ©terminer les causes du dĂ©clin des insectes lumineux au cours des derniĂšres dĂ©cennies et dâamĂ©liorer lâĂ©tat des connaissances sur les lucioles et les diffĂ©rentes espĂšces de vers luisants."