Whether you call them lightning bugs or fireflies, the sight of them at night is always sure to amaze those who see it. These fascinating bugs are both beautiful and beneficial to humans. Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons, the firefly population is decreasing at a rapid rate. 

Bioluminescence vs Light Pollution

The most notable trait of the fireflies is their bioluminescence, or ability to create light. They evolved this trait both to scare off predators and communicate with each other. Fireflies use light to locate each other and say hello, and flash special patterns when looking for a mate. The light is produced in the lantern, an organ in the firefly’s abdomen. Fireflies control the organ, and when they add oxygen to it, a chemical reaction begins to create light.

Because fireflies rely so much on their light, a major threat to them is light pollution, the lumination of the night sky by artificial sources, such as street lights and car lights. It’s the reason you can’t see stars in populated areas, and it negatively impacts the health of us and surrounding wildlife. Light pollution confuses our body’s natural cycles- often causing struggles with sleeping- and has a much more devastating impact on fireflies. Surrounding light can drown out a firefly’s signal, rendering them unable to recognize each other, communicate, or search for mates.

Habitat

Fireflies thrive in habitats like Armand Bayou Nature Center. In the prairies, fireflies use the long grass for shelter and laying eggs. Those eggs hatch into larvae, which live in the grasses and under dead leaves. Fireflies also need the wetlands for their eggs, because if the environment isn’t humid enough, the eggs won’t hatch.

Unfortunately, environments like these are becoming fewer and fewer. The coastal tall-grass prairie once covered at least 9 million acres of Texas and Louisiana, but today over 99% of the habitat has been lost to agricultural and urban development. 

Benefits of Protecting Fireflies

Fireflies are incredibly beautiful and helpful, and their preservation benefits us in many ways. Firstly, they provide a great reminder of the beauty and wonder of nature. Spending an evening watching glowing and flashing fireflies is an unparalleled experience.

Fireflies also benefit us by eating garden and agricultural pests, such as snails, slugs, and caterpillars. By providing natural pest control, fireflies make gardening and agriculture cleaner and safer for the environment

Fireflies are important in medicine, too, as an enzyme fireflies create can help diagnose diseases. Luciferase, which fireflies use to create light, can be altered in a lab to luminate when it encounters certain molecules that indicate the presence of a disease. 

How ABNC Helps Fireflies

Fireflies are no longer commonly seen in urban areas. They’re able to survive here at the nature center because of the habitat that we work so hard to protect. We benefit from their presence here because they’re beautiful and they give us a more balanced ecosystem. The more species we can protect, the greater our biodiversity, leading to a stronger, healthier environment and community

The best way to help the firefly population is through the protection of their habitat. Armand Bayou Nature center strives to protect this environment, providing fireflies with a place to thrive in all stages of their lives. Our wetlands are the perfect place for fireflies to lay eggs, and the prairies provide the soil, leaves and grass, which larvae need to live and grow.

If you want to see nature’s stunning and peaceful light show book your spot for a Firefly Friday or Night Hikes in the spring!