Dusk is the deepest part of twilight, that fleeting time of not quite dark when magic feels possible. At dusk this June you could catch magic in a mason jar like you did at the age of six. Remember? Optimism can be hard to come by, but this year the fireflies did their part. Our sense of wonder was rekindled by nature once again. How DO they do that, and why was this a good season for lightning bugs?
Our predominant species (there are 6 common and up to 20 total in the northeast) is Photinus Pyralis, the Eastern Firefly, usually called the “Big Dipper”. Sounds like a basketball nickname, but it refers to the male’s habit of j-shaped flight, lighting his lamp on the upswing. From early June to mid-July these insects message each other with bioluminescent love notes, the male doing a blinking aerial ballet and the female replying from a lawn or meadow. Their signals come from two chemicals in reaction, one a trigger from a specific enzyme, the other producing the eerie greenish light. You know what then happens after dark. One more species (of fauna or even flora) that communicate with each other despite our lack of attention and understanding of their complexity.
A warm and humid climate is advantageous for firefly larvae survival and that of their prey, tiny slugs and bugs. Connecticut had the third wettest May on record this year, thus had thoroughly hydrated soil following a mild winter, also beneficial. Fireflies need moisture and like it near standing water. They won the weather lottery this spring! As an added bonus, the rainy spring was bad for spongy (gypsy) moths.
Fun facts: The New Canaan, CT Land Trust created the first US firefly sanctuary, still going strong. There is a 14-minute Ted Talk by Professor Sara Lewis of Woodbridge, The Loves and Lives of Fireflies. And there is a spot in Smoky Mountains National Park where a yearly lottery can win you a seat to watch thousands of fireflies light up the night SYNCHRONOUSLY. Whoa. Taiwan and Mexico also have firefly ecotourism.
This year’s optimism notwithstanding, the well-loved insects are imperiled everywhere, by light, pesticide pollution, and habitat loss. Our forested state used to have more of their preferred terrain, acres of dark, abandoned farms and fields. To aid fireflies, make oases of leaf litter on your lawn, in damp areas if possible. Mow higher and less often in summer next year and avoid lawn chemicals. Shut off outside lights during those weeks of activity and encourage your neighbors to do the same. You’ll be supporting dancing in the dark, the twilight artistry of what Professor Lewis calls “the creative improvisation of evolution.” Then go outside and watch. You may even feel like a kid again, running gleefully through the dark of an endless summer.
George Jacobi
Firefly closeup compliments of Geoffrey Winningham
Evening firefly photos by Roger Ingraham. Roger is a relatively new member of Joshua’s Trust. He balances his technical work life with hiking trails and the art of photography using whatever camera is in his hand.
My favorite light show.