What Is Lightning Bug Season

They are soft bodied beetles that are commonly called fireflies glowworms or lightning bugs for their conspicuous use of bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey.

What is lightning bug season.

Fireflies are primarily carnivorous. The once a year phenomenon is so popular that a lottery system has been established for obtaining the coveted parking passes required to attend. Fireflies eat other fireflies. The lampyridae are a family of insects in the beetle order coleoptera with more than 2 000 described species.

Attracting lightning bugs to your garden is definitely a good thing to do as unlike many other less desirable bugs these beneficial insects don t bite they aren t poisonous and they carry no diseases. Fireflies not only light up childhood memories. Fireflies also known as lightning bugs are part of the beetle family in the order coleoptera. There is nothing quite like the sight of lightning bugs also known as fireflies lighting up the night sky during summer months.

Right here in the smoky mountains near the elkmont campground is the largest population of synchronous fireflies in the western hemisphere. The tens of thousands of lightning bugs gather in swarms and flash in harmony as the entire forest alternates between light and darkness. This is definitely not the world s greatest video but if you watch you can see flickers on and off. There are about 2 000 species of fireflies worldwide with over 150 species in the u s.

T he great smoky mountains national park is gearing up for its annual synchronous fireflies event during which swarms of lightning bugs will light up the park at night. Information on fireflies lightning bugs including reasons on their decline plus firefly pictures facts and how to catch them. I swear there used to be a whole lot more of the little buggers when i was a kid. It s lightning bug season.

Mild winters also mean a larger lightning bug population in your back yard since the young will have had an easier time surviving the cold. Egg larva pupa and adult. All the warmth from early summers and mild winters fools lightning bugs into thinking it s later in the season than it really is and so they emerge sooner. Larvae usually eat snails and worms.

Fireflies or lightning bugs. Fireflies produce a cold light with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. Some species of fireflies feed on other fireflies most notable is the genus photuris which mimics female flashes of photinus a closely related species in order to attract and devour the males of that species.