Spillway Reivew
Essay

Are the synchronized flashers an alien life form or fireflies performing an exotic tango?

We took a late walk, my dog and I, a break from the encroaching May heat and to check out the evening sights and sounds. He enjoys the evening wildlife as possums and raccoons start to roust about and I follow the erratic flight of bats and purple martins. We live on six acres of forested pine along a winding creek with giant azaleas, wildflowers, blackberry bushes and an abundance of underbrush. Sorry, loggers--you're not wanted--my dead trees are natural bird houses and fallen trees give creepy crawlers a place to hang out and dine. You won't find a street light or stadium size flood light on my spread and forget the weed killer or fertilizers--we do it the old fashioned way--weed and mulch.

Nature really enjoys my place and she gave me a gift on that steamy evening as darkness fell--a synchronized symphony of lights--a colony of lightning bugs flashing on key as if a conductor orchestrated the evening performance. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I needed a witness--the dog didn't seem interested--so I grabbed my husband. He mumbled something about aliens and went inside to gather more ESPN gamma rays. I knew this was something big--a new phenomenon--a miracle of nature, so I did some research.

And as usual, I was right. Photinus Pyralis (Common Eastern Firefly) and the Photuris Pennsylvanica (Woods Firefly) are fireflies indigenous to our area. In research conducted at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,  Jonathan Copeland of Georgia Southern University and Andrew Moiseff of the University of Connecticut confirm that Photinus Pyralis are among the in-sync flashers. So why do the bugs coordinate their flashes? Males do most of the tail flashing--a bit of flirting--and females watch the show while perched and flash back if they like what they see. Copeland and Moiseff believe too many flashing males may confuse the female as she cannot distinguish the species-specific signal so males coordinate their blinking because synchrony avoids the maze of flashes. Some species employ synchronous flashing as part of their normal behavior, while P. Pyralis uses it on an occasional basis. So it is truly a privilege to witness this photic display.

In the spring issue of the National Wildlife Federation magazine, scientists have found a way to genetically engineer firefly light genes into other living cells. Possible applications include tests for tainted meat, wastewater treatment and perhaps, a cure for cancer. Knowing this, we owe it to ourselves and the firefly genus to promote a healthy population of these mystical creatures.

What about those burning (pardon the pun) questions--what makes them glow, where do they go during the day, what do they eat and what is their life cycle? Fireflies or lightning bugs  are beetles in the Lampyridae family with two pairs of wings. Firefly adults, larvae (known as glowworms) and firefly eggs are bioluminescent.  The light is produced via a reaction of two chemicals, luciferin and luciferase stored in their abdomens; mixed with oxygen, it emits a pure light with very little heat. Our photinus (eastern firefly) flashes a yellow light and the photuris (woods firefly), a light of green.

They usually appear right at dusk, the warmest part of the night cruising low for about an hour or two. When the male locates the female and follows her signal, they draw close--their lights dim--and the tango begins. After a few days, the female lays a hundred or so eggs under the soil. I grew up thinking lightning bugs ate mosquitoes but it is the glowworm or larva that is the vivacious eater. Once the larva emerges from its egg--living in rotting wood, forest litter, and edges of streams and ponds--it feeds on slugs, snails and soft-bodied insects, which means they make great garden pets. In the autumn time, they begin to burrow underground for the winter season. In the late spring, they build a marblesized mud protection and change into a pupa. About ten days later, an adult firefly emerges to eat pollen and nectar by day and twinkle at night in search for a mate.

Want to increase the amount of fireflies in your neck of the woods? Well, it seems my recipe for letting Nature run its course is the easiest way to attract the nocturnal beauties. Cut down or eliminate using chemicals on your lawn and reduce any "extra lighting" (photic noise) on your property which interferes with their flashing. Also low overhanging trees, tall grass, underbrush or similar vegetation will provide a shady place for adults to rest during the day.  Nectar producing plants provide food for adults while fallen trees, wood litter, ponds, streams and marshes offer a nursery room for larvae.

That muggy May night will stay with me for quite sometime. Fireflies always trigger a bit of nostalgia for many of us--the first days of summer, no school, playing kick-the-can or hide-in-seek late into the night. And remember how we packed jars full of the blinking wonders, taking care to add grass and leaves and put holes on the lid? So why don't we see more of them --does municipal spraying for mosquitos influence their numbers? Or could it be we just don't take time to visit the night and pull up a lawn chair to witness Nature's light show? Make it a part of your ritual, pull the kids and hubby away from the old tube; and if you're lucky, the fiery little nymphs will perform their photic symphony.