Fireflies are enchanting creatures. To some they are dancing fairies, to others miniature lanterns glowing in the warm night air. To most they are a nostalgic symbol of summer and remind people of warm balmy nights. In Bulgaria we see the first ones in late May and they finish their illuminating display by the end of June. People love them for their unique, lantern-like ability, most people don’t know about the complex processes that allow them to twinkle. Read on to find out how they glow, why the species is declining and what we are doing to help.

10 Facts about Fireflies

They are not actually flies

Contrary to their name, lightning bugs are not flies. Rather, they’re nocturnal members of the bug family which also contains ladybugs, emerald ash borers, and boll weevils. In fact, fireflies are soft-bodied, winged beetles. The family name, Lampyridae — which also happens to be the insect’s scientific name — even comes from the Greek word “lampein,” meaning “to shine.”

A Chemical Reaction Makes Light

There is an enzyme inside the firefly’s abdomen and tail area that, when combined with oxygen, calcium, and adenosine triphosphate, creates light.  They do this in the insect’s “glow organ,”. This is the last two or three abdominal segments, which the firefly controls. It can start or stop the glowing at any time by “breathing” oxygen, which it does through its muscles as it doesn’t have lungs. The light can range from yellow to green, light red, and orange.

They produce light very efficiently

The light produced by fireflies is the most efficient light on earth. According to The National Wildlife Federation, fireflies emit 100 percent of the energy from this chemical reaction, as light. In Comparison with a lightbulb, the firefly emits only 10 percent of its energy as light, while the other 90 percent is heat. The fireflies couldn’t survive if their bodies got as hot as a lightbulb. Consequently, they produce only about 1/80,000th of the heat emitted by a household candle.

They Use Their Light Patterns To Attract Mates

Each firefly species has its own pattern of light flashing, and males use this pattern to attract females of the same species. The male firefly will know whether a potential mate is interested by how long it takes her to flash back a reply. However, some “femme fatales” trick males by making false flash patterns. They then attack and eat them when they come closer to mate.

Fireflies Have Short Lifespans

From egg to adulthood, fireflies can live up to a year, but they only fly and lay eggs for about two months of that period. During the larval stage, they hide out in underground burrows. They emerge as adults and hastily lay eggs (about 500 per female, on average) and then die after five to 30 days.

Their Numbers Are Declininis on the decline.

Pesticide use and habitat destruction are to blame for today’s dwindling lightning bug population, but above all, light pollution may be the biggest culprit. Outdoor lights can confuse them during mating season, leading to less reproduction.

What Are We Doing To Save the Fireflies

• Turning off outdoor lights at night to reduce light pollution. We don’t have lights down on the campsite itself.
• We use minimal insecticides. We use ecological recipes where possible.
• We leave areas of the campsite with longer grass. This means fireflies have safe places to rest on the ground.
• We plant trees that provide shady areas where fireflies can be seen before it gets fully dark.

So try to come to stay during Firefly season. They are one of the marvels of nature that you should show your children. To find out more about nature on the campsite see #Nature. Many people read about our White Storks, Moths and European Tree Frogs. You can also find out more about fireflies on Wikipedia.