Fireflies!

The fireflies are back.  Just in time for Mid-Summer's Eve and the full moon.

Last night the edges of the woods in my yard were sparkling.

I remember catching fireflies in my back yard on Parsons Drive many years ago, although there were not many.  The neighborhood was new, and all of the trees and shrubs had been wiped out.   These beetles need overgrown areas where they won’t dry out. The best display I’ve seen recently was in New York’s Central Park, in an area that was fenced off for maintenance. They rivaled the skyline for brightness.

You might know that the male fireflies blink in a special pattern (different for each species) as they fly through the air. The females sit on the ground and respond. Did you know that there is one group of fireflies that mimic the females of other species? When the male lands to mate, he is eaten. Mother Nature is not a warm fuzzy.

The Museum of Science in Boston, along with other researchers around the country, can use your help in learning about fireflies. They are concerned about decreasing populations of the insects. Check out the web site for FireFly Watch and see if you can help advance science.