"A spectacular year"
According to Sara Lewis, biologist and researcher at Tufts University, author of "Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies. "
There are about 2000 species of fireflies in the world, including about 20 in the state of New York.Some of these species – especially those with more specific habitat needs – are declining, she says, but from year to year, "populations fluctuate"
"There are good years and bad years for fireflies."
Lewis conducts tours of Firefly in and around New York, and she hears about a record year, from the point of view of firefly.
"This year, I get reports from almost all over the country. The difference is the moisture: the adults you see are lightning bolts "the tip of the iceberg in the life cycle of fireflies," says Lewis. "They spend most of their lives, at least two years.
These juveniles prefer a wetter environment, so in summer, after the humid springs, there are many fireflies.
Lewis said that, although some species of fireflies were "probably wiped" out, "she said it's" too apocalyptic "
" Unfortunately, we do not really have much data on the firefly population, "she said.
Fireflies simultaneously flash woods on June 13, 2018, at Elkmont Campground, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Synchronized flashes are part of the mating ritual of the firefly of photinus carolinus. (Photo: Calvin Mattheis, Knoxville (Tenn.) Sentinel News)
The J fireflies
can usually be identified by their flight and flash patterns. The most common is Photinus pyralis, which Pfeiffer called "the big bear," known for its "J" pattern.
You have seen them. You probably took them in jars taking care to drill a few holes in the lid.
Here's how the DEC state describes their light show that is, like many things in the wild, a mating dance:
"Every six seconds or so, they fall on the ground, light their organ Fly straight up so that their luminous path resembles the letter "J." At the top, a man extinguishes his light and hovers for two or three seconds to watch for feminine responses. species sees its flash from its perch in the vegetation, it waits about two seconds before responding with a single flash of about half a second. "
Although Pfeiffer said that it was not clear. there was "no concrete evidence" decline, there is a scientific consensus. There have been efforts to involve the public in population counts – particularly at the Boston Museum of Science – but the problem remains to be identified.
"It is almost impossible for a layman to identify an individual species," said Pfeiffer. "We are now working on the population by sampling, but if you go into a firefly habitat, you will encounter more than one species."
The habitat, and its demise, explains for the most part why there are fewer fireflies, according to Lawrence Forcella, the official naturalist of Hastings Village and bug lover.
"In the past, they could be common in a vacant lot.Then someone decides to build a house there and, boom, they are all gone," he said. "I do not think people really understand that habitat loss is a major problem."
Pfeiffer agrees, although urban and suburban sprawl is only one factor he cites in the continuing decline of fireflies. problem. Bright light sources make it difficult to reproduce fireflies.
"If you're a female looking for a male or if it's a blinking male for a female, it's getting harder for them to see each other," says Pfeiffer. Some fireflies need total darkness to complete their mating cycle. "
Add an increased use of pesticides, pumping aquifers and industrial waste and you have an environment less and less conducive to fire.
In this composite of 114 images of 30-second individual exposure, fireflies blink through the woods at the Elkmont Fireflies event in the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tenn., on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. The "Photinus carolinus" is the only species in America that can synchronize their light patterns as part of their annual mating ritual. (Calvin Mattheis / Knoxville News Sentinel by AP) (Photo: Calvin Mattheis, Associate Press)
"They are replacing lands that could be used for fireflies with concrete, "said Pfeiffer." If you're looking for fireflies, go get a meadow, "says Forcella." The insects in their larval stage prefer the borders, where they do not. rewind small worms and snails to consume, but adults fly over yards and fields, to be better seen by potential mates
"Females are very demanding". . "They will choose the males who have the strongest flash."
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