{"id":25463,"date":"2021-05-20T00:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T00:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=25463"},"modified":"2021-05-21T12:49:48","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T12:49:48","slug":"fireflies-need-dark-nights-for-their-summer-light-shows-heres-how-you-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/fireflies-need-dark-nights-for-their-summer-light-shows-heres-how-you-can-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Fireflies need dark nights for their summer light shows \u2013 here’s how you can help"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Avalon C.S. Owens<\/a>, Tufts University<\/a><\/em> and Sara Lewis<\/a>, Tufts University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before humans invented fire, the only things that lit up the night were the moon, the stars and bioluminescent<\/a> creatures \u2013 including fireflies. These ambassadors of natural wonder are soft-bodied beetles that emit \u201ccold light,\u201d using a biochemical reaction<\/a> housed in their abdominal lanterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/a>
Fireflies mating. Sara Lewis, CC BY-ND<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fireflies exchange bioluminescent courtship signals as a precursor to mating. In doing so, they construct spectacular light shows that inspire joy and delight in people all around the world<\/a>. Unfortunately, human activities threaten to extinguish these silent sparks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent decades, fireflies have vanished from many places where they were once found. Like other insects, fireflies are threatened by habitat loss and pesticide use<\/a>. They are also uniquely vulnerable to the harmful effects of light pollution<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As scientists who study fireflies<\/a> and how they are affected by artificial light<\/a>, we want to make sure that future generations can continue to enjoy one of nature\u2019s greatest wonders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A life in the dark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fireflies evolved some 100 million years ago<\/a> and have blossomed into more than 2,200 species that are found on every continent except Antarctica. Here in North America, nearly 150 different species of flashing firefly light up our summer nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most North American species have a two- to four-week mating season. Each evening, males and females engage in a dash of light flirtation. The males fly around, producing a species-specific pattern of flashes. Females, perched in the undergrowth, discreetly respond when they are interested with flashes of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the vast majority of evolutionary history, nighttime light sources were predictable and short-lived: The sun set, and the moon waned. But as advances in technology made it cheaper and easier for humans to light up their environment, light pollution has become a constant presence in urban, suburban and rural habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human-caused light sources \u2013 house lights, path lights, streetlights \u2013 often shine all night, year-round. Humans can use curtains to block out a neighbor\u2019s annoying LED floodlight, but nocturnal animals aren\u2019t so fortunate. The more we light up the night, the less space we leave for the firefly flash dance. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0BOjTMkyfIA?wmode=transparent&start=0 Synchronous fireflies, native to the U.S. Southeast, coordinate their flashes into bursts that ripple through groups of insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blinded by the light<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We and other firefly researchers<\/a> have become increasingly worried about the future of these remarkable insects. More than a decade of scientific research<\/a> offers ample evidence that light pollution is a threat to firefly reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fundamental problem is visibility: Fireflies use their bioluminescence to flirt in the dark. It doesn\u2019t work so well with the lights on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists have known for some time that direct illumination from a nearby streetlight makes male fireflies flash less<\/a>, but that is only half the story. As with most animals that engage in complex courtship rituals, female fireflies are the choosy ones \u2013 and they are watching the show with the rest of us. When a female sees a male she likes, she flashes back. He zips over, and that\u2019s when the magic happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our recent lab study<\/a> shows that females of a common New England firefly species are even more sensitive to direct illumination than their male counterparts. Under artificial light, males flash about half as often, while females rarely, if ever, flash back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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