Whether you know them as lightning bugs or fireflies, these beetles are beneficial insects. Light pollution has also made lightning bug mating difficult by diluting their ability to distinguish their lanterns over what man has introduced. These beetles aren't known for their lengthy migration range, so with any localized loss of habitation these insects just don't survive. Populations of lightning bugs are on the decline. Wingless females and luminescent larvae are often called "glowworms." As adults, the lifespan is about 2 months. While in the larval stage, the lightning bugs have three pairs of legs and are turtle-like creatures with tiny spots on their underside that glow like view holes in the furnace door. It is a form of communication and the cornerstone of an elaborate courting ritual in which potential mates beckon one another.Ī few days after mating, which occurs in the spring, a female lays her fertilized eggs on or just below the surface of the ground. Charming though it may be, the lightning bug's light serves a serious purpose. On warm summer evenings, as the sun dips below the horizon, these small winged beetles take to the air and transform the landscape into a silent symphony of blinking lights, a sight that has captivated human audiences for centuries. What sets this insect apart from other insects is one of nature's most extraordinary displays. Adults are 7/16- to 9/16-inch long with brownish-black wing covers that have a light yellowish area almost entirely around them. I grew up calling them lightning bugs, so that is what I am going to call them. Entomologists say they are neither a bug nor a fly but a beetle. Some folks call them lightning bugs, some folk called them fireflies. I can honestly say anytime I see a lightning bug it makes me smile.
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