
These are actually beetles, and some types of flies are diurnal in that they do not glow. The fireflies are considered as Lampyridae family, and the name comes from the Greek word ‘lampein’ which means light. Below are some of the scientific and unknown facts about fireflies. They will emit the light to attract their partner for reproduction and to attract its prey. These fireflies are attractive during nighttime, and they can emit a natural light with the rise of chemical reactions in their body. In this article, we will discuss the 6 unknown facts about fireflies. There are many types of fireflies that differ in colour, size, and shape and the size of the largest firefly will be 25 mm. They are commonly found in temperate and tropical climates usually in wet, and wooden areas where their larvae have the sources of food.

The light is produced by a chemical reaction that is yellow, green, or pale red and have their wavelengths from 510 to 670 Nanometres. They are known as fireflies, lightning bugs, and glowworms that emits a clod light without IR or UV frequencies.

They are the soft-bodied beetles that emit light to attract their mates or their prey. Finally, they emerge as adult fireflies however, some firefly larvae won't reach the pupal and adult stage for a few years, depending on the species.Fireflies are the garden beetle species that have more than 2,000 species in the world. Then they go into the pupal stage for approximately two weeks. Most of the time, the firefly larvae will stay in this stage until the next spring. For this reason, the larvae of some firefly species are known as glowworms. The larvae hatch mainly in the spring and already glow like the adult firefly. The firefly starts life as an egg and in three to four weeks hatch into larvae. The firefly goes through the four-stage type of metamorphosis known as holometabolism. What stages of metamorphosis does the firefly go through?.The fact that even larvae are luminescent lends support to this theory. Firefly light may also serve as a defense mechanism that flashes a clear warning of the insect's unappetizing taste. Scientists are not sure how the insects regulate this process to turn their lights on and off. Each blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies find potential mates. Why do the lights of the Firefly blink?įirefly light is usually intermittent, and flashes in patterns that are unique to each species.The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat. Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. They catch their prey usually by spitting digestive fluids (like spit and stomach acid) at their prey using organs near their mouth known as mandibles.Įveryone knows how fireflies got their name, but many people don't know how the insects produce their signature glow. This mixed diet depends on the type of species of firefly as there are around 2,000 different firefly species! The larvae of the firefly mainly eat the larvae of snails and slugs. In drier areas, they are found around wet or damp areas that retain moisture.įireflies are predatory when young, but as adults they usually eat honey and nectar. Fireflies love moisture and often live in humid regions of Asia and the Americas. These insects live in a variety of warm environments, as well as in more temperate regions, and are a familiar sight on summer evenings. The firefly's larvae look almost exactly like fully grown fireflies, except that they don't have the compound eyes the adults have. When you look close-up, you can see that fireflies have soft bodies, compound eyes and a bright, glowing rear end. Have you ever been in a field at night and sometimes seen little flying specks of light around? Well, if you were to look at one up close you'd realize that these lights are really bugs! These bugs are called fireflies.
