The fireflies they surveyed fell into three main categories. The results of that research were fascinating – if not frustrating. There has been a recent and ongoing effort to better grasp populations of lightning bugs, or fireflies, across North America and assess the threat of extinction, he said. They are working to gather more information. Researchers across the country, like Henriques, are trying to change that. Part of the problem, however, is that there isn’t great data on lightning bugs to be able to speak quantitatively or with specificity. “If you ask people on the street,” he said, “many people will fondly think of a time when they used to see more and now don’t see as many.” “If we go from qualitative assessment alone, they seem to be on the decline,” said Sérgio Henriques, the invertebrate conservation coordinator for the Indianapolis Zoo’s Global Center for Species Survival. At least that’s what the evidence suggests. The lights of fireflies are being snuffed out. Lightning bugs or fireflies: What are those glowing insects called? Short answer: Fireflies are hurting You could be right, because there are signs the flashy beetle that once was so commonplace – as was the pastime of catching them – may become a thing of the past. And they've been around for millions of years.īut you may feel as if you are seeing fewer flashes across the night sky compared to when you were younger. In North America, there are more than 170 species of Lampyridae, or light-emitting beetles, and there are more than 2,000 types worldwide. And then waiting to catch a glimpse of the small flash between your fingers before letting it go again. You know how it goes, pursuing the flickering lights across the dusk sky until you clap your hands in a sphere around one. Chasing lightning bugs on a summer night is a rite of passage for many youngsters.
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