Natural History Wanderings

Xerces Society reports

Fireflies are best known for their showy nighttime displays, but not all fireflies flash at night. The common name “firefly” not only includes familiar flashing species (a.k.a. lightning bugs), but also the more cryptic glow-worms and daytime dark fireflies, whose adults—as their name suggests—are active during the day and rely on chemical pheromones rather than bioluminescence to communicate. Glow-worms, like flashing fireflies, are active during dusk or nighttime and use bioluminescence (but glowing, not flashing) to communicate. While males look like typical fireflies, glow-worm females resemble larvae; they cannot fly because their wings are short or absent. Fireflies face numerous challenges, including increasing light pollution, habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. These threats affect firefly species in different ways, depending on each species’ life history traits and specific habitat requirements.

Read full article at  About Fireflies | Xerces Society