My Mom tells me that as a baby she could never get me to sleep past 6am–much to her dismay! Perhaps that’s why I’ve always been a morning person, usually up and going full swing by 6 or at the very latest, 6:30. This means I’m in bed way earlier than most people, sometimes before 9, but always before 10… Except when some natural history temptation comes along– like a meteor shower or the chance to see moths, or lately, the anticipation of finding firefly magic. Are you a magic chaser too? Ready to jump in the car at the slightest possibility of seeing something amazing? If so then you’re my kind of person!
Have you ever stopped to consider what are you in the habit of chasing? Our society places so much value on things that seem so unimportant. Do you spend your time chasing a perfect green lawn or immaculate garden, thinness, success and prestige in the workplace, or money?
Shouldn’t we all be out chasing magic, memorable moments with loved ones, and experiences that FEED OUR SOULS? We all think time is infinite, that we’ll always have tomorrow but fate sometimes gives us a different ending.
For the past 5 nights I’ve been driving around, on dirt and paved roads, to places named and unnamed, turning off my car lights, stepping out, and standing in the darkness, looking for tiny flashing lights that decorate the blackness. There have been so many, and such diversity! It’s addictive and I’m slowly switching my schedule to make it work, getting a taste of being a night owl. Again and again I’ve found magic, sometimes so incredible and spectacular and mesmerizing that it moves me to tears. I stand swaddled in black, often beneath a sky brimming with stars, silently watching the language of love written in flashes and glows of tiny insects we call fireflies or lightning bugs. How is it possible that our Planet has these small creatures who can CREATE their own light? Who “talk” to each other in silence by way of flash patterns. How is it possible that every single person on Earth is not aware and enthralled by this insect?
Each night, I’m amazed when I think of all the cars passing me who have no idea this is here, and all the people home in their houses, also unaware of this extraordinary soul food that is out here for the taking, free of charge to anyone brave enough to go looking. You don’t need to hire a guide, join an expensive tour, or travel to exotic far-off places to discover magic! It’s out there, right now, in an unnamed meadow or forest near you. What’s stopping you from going out to look?
Want to do something fun and different with the kids? Why not get in the car and drive to a dark field, forest or park near you to see what’s out there? There are many active fireflies lighting up the night with their wondrous flashes and glows. Surely this is WAY better than any TV show or movie you could watch!
I’m continually blown-away by the magic of fireflies and reminded every single night that if I don’t go looking, of course I won’t see them! It’s easier to stay at home and go to bed early but in doing so, look at all that I would miss!
Makes me think of a trip to see the northern lights in Canada a few years ago with my friend Kim. Two guys were staying at the same small Inn as us and each morning we’d ask them if they saw the aurora. Each morning they answered no. And each night they never stepped outside to look. Maybe they peaked out their window once or twice and not seeing anything, returned to bed, disappointed in the morning. Kim and I spent almost the entire night outside, despite temperatures often hovering in the arctic zone, way below zero. Dressed in more layers than we could count, our eyes about the only part of us exposed to the night air, walking like Michelin men, we’d clumsily make our way down the slippery trail to the frozen lake where we would plop down on our backs, looking up at the sky and wishing for magic. Most nights our efforts were rewarded and we were treated to the magic of green and magenta colored curtains dancing in the sky, changing shape and hue in a slow silent dance that defies description. Sometimes the show was on the level of it’s-so-AMAZING-I-must-be-dreaming-and-I-can-understand-why-it’s-on-so-many-bucket-lists. Of course we wouldn’t have seen any of it had we stayed warm and cozy in our heated bedroom!
So yes, fireflies. They are amazing! And though the famous blue ghosts and synchronous fireflies ARE worth chasing, let me remind you that the other 2,023 species that exist on our Planet are also worth staying up late and looking for.
Here are three things you may not know about fireflies:
1.Fireflies and lightning bugs are the same thing and both are not named very accurately, as they are neither in the BUG or the FLY order. Instead, they belong to Coleoptera– the beetles. The beetle order is the most plentiful order of all those on earth, with more than 400,000 named species, though scientists recognize that many more are yet to be discovered. Fireflies belong to the lampyridae family, getting this distinction because they all glow in their larval stage. Scientists have named 2,400 species of fireflies! 2,400! What diversity!
2. Like butterflies and moths, fireflies go through four stages– egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The larval stage lasts the longest– one to three years. (In colder climates where summer is short, such as Maine or Canada, they might take 3 years, but in warmer locations such as WNC, one summer is normal) As larvae living in the leaf litter, these small critters are formidable predators, able to prey on animals larger than themselves because of a toxin in their bodies and hollow mandibles designed to administer this poison with deadly accuracy. They eat soft-bodied invertebrates including slugs, snails, and even worms. As adults, most fireflies eat NOTHING so live a short time–usually just 2-4 weeks.
3. Each of the 2,400 species of fireflies–except those who don’t have lights as adults, about 25%– has a unique flash pattern that they use to attract and communicate with a mate. Maybe they flash every two seconds. Maybe they have a streak that lasts three seconds and they repeat this every one second. Maybe they flash twice every 5 seconds. Each species has its own flash pattern, time of night and time of year when they are active, and preferred height above ground. That’s why when you go outside in the spring and summer and see fireflies, you might notice multiple species of fireflies– especially if you watch carefully. Look for the different light patterns as well as colors of light, height of the lights and time of night.
There is a LOT more to learn and know about fireflies, but that’s enough for now!
Here are some past posts I’ve written about fireflies and magic:
Ten things you may not know about fireflies
Five things you may not know about fireflies
Magic for your soul: Fireflies and bioluminescence
Have you experienced any magic courtesy of Mother Nature lately? What is your favorite thing to chase?
