What do fireflies eat

Male fireflies typically fly through the air in search of a female by emitting a species-specific flashing pattern. Some fireflies only flash once, while others do so up to nine times. The females sit on the ground and wait until they see an impressive light display. Less romantically, female fireflies in the genus Photuris mimic the flash of females in the genus Photinus attracting Photinus males, which they lure in to eat.

Not only do the Photuris females get food, they also incorporate chemicals from the Photinus males that make them distasteful to predators. Speaking of predators, firefly blood contains a defensive steroid called lucibufagins, which makes them unappetizing to potential hunters. Once predators get a bite, they associate the unpleasant taste with firefly light and avoid attacking the lightning bugs in the future. The larvae of most fireflies are predaceous, beneficial insects that feed on snails, slugs and worms.

When they become adults, fireflies may eat pollen, nectar or nothing at all! The few species that remain carnivorous through adulthood eat other types of fireflies. Talk about a strange diet! When their habitat is overtaken, fireflies do not relocate. Instead, they just disappear. Here are a few fascinating facts you may not know. Fireflies emit light mostly to attract mates, although they also communicate for other reasons as well, such as to defend territory and warn predators away.

In some firefly species, only one sex lights up. In most, however, both sexes glow; often the male will fly, while females will wait in trees, shrubs and grasses to spot an attractive male. Luciferin is heat resistant, and it glows under the right conditions. Luciferase is an enzyme that triggers light emission. All living things, not just fireflies, contain ATP. In some species, the larvae and even the eggs emit light. Firefly eggs have been observed to flash in response to stimulus such as gentle tapping or vibrations.

This is an image of a firefly larvae just emerging from the egg. Fireflies are primarily carnivorous. Larvae usually eat snails and worms. Females of the Lamprigera firefly can grow to be the size of your palm. They are much larger than their male counterparts and lack wings. Two large light organs on their abdomen produce their characteristic glow. There are winter fireflies. While fireflies are largely seen as a staple of summer, there is one North American species that is active in the winter.

Adults of these winter fireflies do not emit light and hide in the bark of trees, so they largely go unnoticed. Emerging to find overwintering sites in September and huddling in the furrowed bark of large trees through the winter, they find each other with pheromone signals in April and May, mate, lay eggs and are gone before their summer counterparts arrive.

Some fireflies flash in unison. Some species of firefly have a unique way of performing their mating signals: they synchronize their flashes. Truly synchronous fireflies are found in Southeast Asia. They congregate in colony trees and blink in unison. Other species synchronize their flashes over a few-second period, appearing as waves of light and dark that ripple through the forest.

These can be found on the East Coast of the U. Firefly populations are threatened by light pollution. Thus, they have a hard time finding mates. Other potential threats include habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. Turn off your lights at night during firefly season to ensure you have a beautiful display for years to come. The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. Cheyenne McKinley is a senior biology major at Bucknell University.

Sarah Lower is an assistant professor of biology at Bucknell University. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.