No Title 2598

There is no other insect that triggers such fond memories of childhood like the lightning bug. You can’t help but reminisce about those hot summer evenings, running around outside with your old Mason jar collecting as many fireflies as you could grab. Even as adults we have a sense of awe about a creature that creates its own light. But do you know where they go for the rest of the year?

Lightning bugs as adult beetles look for mates a few short weeks during the summer. The females lay their eggs in moist, soft dirt and die shortly thereafter. The newly hatched larvae live near the surface of the soil hunting for slugs and earthworms to eat. They grow slowly all summer and fall, before digging deeper into the soil to hibernate. They become active again in the spring, growing quickly as the weather warms up. After a few months they stop eating and form their pupa, which is their cocoon-like stage of development. Even in this motionless pupa stage, they are able to glow from two dots on their rear that look like eerie glowing eyes. After a couple of weeks they emerge as mature flying beetles.

There are many possible reasons for the decline of the firefly population. With more construction projects removing the topsoil, the beetles have fewer places to lay their eggs. Another reason for their decline may be the chemicals being used everywhere, from residential lawn care to backyard gardens. When you use pesticides on your prized roses or vegetable garden, it all eventually washes into the soil and can kill the lightning bug larvae that live there. About eight years ago we decided to go completely poison-free in our gardens, and we now enjoy more lightning bugs in our yards than ever before.

Why not grab a jar this summer and spend an evening right before dusk catching some yellow-green glowing lightning bugs, with your kids or by yourself. Remember to punch holes in the lid for air and set them free after you’ve spent a few minutes watching these truly magical creatures.

INSECT BOOKS

Judy Burris and Wayne Richards are sister-brother author/photographers from Erlanger who enjoy sharing their experiences from 10 years of butterfly gardening. Read about butterfly life cycles in their book The Life Cycles of Butterflies, and other insects in their newest book The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs, due out June 2011. They are featured speakers at Master Gardener events and native plant conventions. You can visit their educational Web site at www.ButterflyNature.com.