Fireflies

Fireflies are also called Lightning Bugs. Named as they are nocturnal luminous insects of the beetle family Lampyridae, consisting of about 1,900 species that inhabit tropical and temperate regions. The common glow worm is a member of this family.

Fireflies are soft bodied beetles which sizes range from 5 to 25 millimeters in length. On the underside of the abdomen it have special light organs that glows in luminous flashes. The flattened, dark brown or black body is often marked with yellow or orange. Most of the fireflies feed on pollen and nectar but for adult fireflies they do not eat.


How is the firefly light produced? They are produced under a nervous control within special cells which are richly supplied with air tubes. Only the light from the visible spectrum is emitted.

Fireflies do not bite, do not have pincers, do not carry disease and in fact are quite harmless. They cannot even fly fast. They have a life span of two months.