Counting Fireflies at Serendipity Gardens

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Photo taken from National Geographic website.

One of my best memories from childhood happened one summer evening when I spent the night with my cousin who lived on a farm. I rode to her house with her and my aunt and uncle. When we drew close to the house, my uncle stopped the car and turned out the lights.

“Look!” he said.

We looked up, and saw … a city! I could not believe my eyes … the twinkling lights of a city right out in the country. Actually, it was a field full of fireflies, glowing and flashing in the dark. It was incredibly beautiful, all the more so for being so unexpected.

That wonderful sight does not seem to be so readily available today. Like so many other creatures, fireflies have lost a great deal of habitat. I do see some “lightning bugs” — as I used to call them — on a summer evening at Serendipity Gardens, though not nearly so many as I saw in that magical moment years ago.

The Vanishing Firefly Project

firefly logo final-2I read recently about the Vanishing Firefly Project at Clemson University. This project has been going on at least since 2013.

Here is what the website has to say about the project:

“The objective of the Clemson Vanishing Firefly Project is to promote environmental sustainability and stewardship through the participation of local communities in environmental science research.”

The idea is to gather information about the state of fireflies today. Where are they? How many are there? What environmental hazards are the most dangerous for them? What effect is the rapid growth of cities having?

Be a Citizen Scientist and Help Count the Lightning Bugs!

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Screen shot of the IPhone Firefly Counter app.

Why not help in the count?

The project website says, “The Clemson Vanishing Firefly Project offers a mobile app that everyone — from elementary students to seniors — can use to measure firefly populations in their communities, from neighborhoods, to parks and anywhere in the world they may go!”

I recently became a volunteer for this project. I began by downloading the iPhone Firefly Counter app from the project site via iTunes. The app is easy to use. It includes a tutorial, a counter, a light meter, and a submission button. Each count takes only one minute. My first count yielded 28 fireflies; my second one, 22 fireflies. That long-ago country-city must have had thousands.

I plan to do several more counts. I hope you’ll join me. You can also record your observations on paper and submit them on the website. 

A Little About Lightning Bugs

Here are some interesting facts about lightning bugs:

  • Over 2000 species of this insect live worldwide; 170 species live in the United States.
  • Lightning bugs are beetles with wings.
  • You’ll find more of them in moist places, as this is their preferred habitat.
  • They also like heat, but live in temperate regions as well as warmer climates.
  • They are omnivorous, sometimes eating other fireflies, but also eating snails and worms.
  • Fireflies produce cold light; none of their light energy is turned into heat. (In comparison, 90 percent of a light bulb’s energy is converted into heat.)
  • The lights, which occur in patterns specific to their species, are the lightning bug’s way of seeking a mate.
  • The larval stage of the firefly lasts a year. It lives in the ground … and like the adult it will become, it can glow.
  • An adult firefly only lives about 10 days to two weeks. It dies after it finds a mate and lays its eggs.
  • Lightning bugs defend themselves by secreting an unpleasant-tasting liquid. They are not a good food for any kind of pet.
  • If you see lots of lightning bugs, that indicates that you are in a healthy, non-polluted environment.

To learn even more about lightning bugs, including how they create their light and medicinal uses, see this fact sheet.

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One thought on “Counting Fireflies at Serendipity Gardens”

  1. Love this post – I have been watching for fireflies & finally saw a couple in my front yard tonight. Thanks for the volunteer info, I’ll do it too!

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