"You can't take the night sky from me says the Firefly"
COMMON NAME: Fireflies
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lampyridae
TYPE: Invertebrates
DIET: Omnivore
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN: About 2 months
SIZE: Up to 1 inch
Stars on earth
“It was still twilight when they reached the flat rock. They sat, and the stone still held the warmth of the day's sun. At first there were only occasional sparkles, but as it got darker Chuck was lost in a daze of delight as a galaxy of fireflies twinkled on and off, flinging upward in a blaze of light, dropping earthward like falling stars, moving in continuous effervescent dance.”
― Madeleine L'Engle, A Swiftly Tilting Planet”
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Habitat
There are about 2,000 firefly species. These insects live in a variety of warm environments, as well as in more temperate regions, and are a familiar sight on summer evenings. Fireflies love moisture and often live in humid regions of Asia and the Americas. In drier areas, they are found around wet or damp areas that retain moisture.
Bioluminescence
Everyone knows how fireflies got their name, but many people don't know how the insects produce their signature glow. Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.
Firefly light is usually intermittent, and flashes in patterns that are unique to each species. Each blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies find potential mates. Scientists are not sure how the insects regulate this process to turn their lights on and off.
Firefly light may also serve as a defense mechanism that flashes a clear warning of the insect's unappetizing taste. The fact that even larvae are luminescent lends support to this theory.
Reproduction and Diet
Females deposit their eggs in the ground, which is where larvae develop to adulthood. Underground larvae feed on worms and slugs by injecting them with a numbing fluid.
Adults eschew such prey and typically feed on nectar or pollen, though some adults do not eat at all.
SOURCE: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/fireflies
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