Comments on: diurnal fireflies http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/ a place where nature, photography and writing meet Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:27:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Burning Silo » Blog Archive » light up the night! http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-101339 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:51:26 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-101339 [...] A few weeks ago, I wrote about diurnal fireflies — members of the Family Lampyridae that do not produce flashes of light at night. They’re still around, but they’re now upstaged by the light show produced by their nocturnal kin. For the next few weeks, the yard will be filled with green glows and streaks of light on occasional evenings when weather conditions are just right. Don noticed the first good showing of fireflies last Friday evening (June 2nd), with dozens of fireflies zooming and arcing above the tall meadow grass around our house and barns. But what is a firefly? Who is the insect behind that neon glow? [...] […] A few weeks ago, I wrote about diurnal fireflies — members of the Family Lampyridae that do not produce flashes of light at night. They’re still around, but they’re now upstaged by the light show produced by their nocturnal kin. For the next few weeks, the yard will be filled with green glows and streaks of light on occasional evenings when weather conditions are just right. Don noticed the first good showing of fireflies last Friday evening (June 2nd), with dozens of fireflies zooming and arcing above the tall meadow grass around our house and barns. But what is a firefly? Who is the insect behind that neon glow? […]

]]> by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-1525 Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:19:30 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-1525 Hello Autrice -- We're just beginning to see the first of our nocturnal fireflies this season (last Friday - June 2nd - was the first night). There did seem to be quite a number out that evening, but not much since due to weather conditions. Last year was a terrific year for them in this area. I think their numbers are very much weather dependent. We've had several hot, drought-like summers up here and barely a firefly to be seen. Last year started out dry, but then we had a lot of heavy rains in late spring, followed by some fairly extreme heat. We soon saw huge numbers of fireflies around our farm, and other naturalists in my area were reporting the same. The other thing which they seem to require is the good cover or dense, tall meadow grass and/or a lot of understory vegetation in forests. If you've followed my blog at all, you'll have seen me mention that our yards are all very dense meadow with a mixture of oldfield plants. That seems to provide ideal cover for fireflies. Well, I hope that the Ohio Valley is just experiencing a down-turn in the firefly cycle and that the numbers will soon be up again. Perhaps it's weather related, although the other issue is habitat destruction - so maybe it's a bit of both (?). Thanks for stopping by and posting a note to my blog. Hello Autrice — We’re just beginning to see the first of our nocturnal fireflies this season (last Friday - June 2nd - was the first night). There did seem to be quite a number out that evening, but not much since due to weather conditions. Last year was a terrific year for them in this area. I think their numbers are very much weather dependent. We’ve had several hot, drought-like summers up here and barely a firefly to be seen. Last year started out dry, but then we had a lot of heavy rains in late spring, followed by some fairly extreme heat. We soon saw huge numbers of fireflies around our farm, and other naturalists in my area were reporting the same. The other thing which they seem to require is the good cover or dense, tall meadow grass and/or a lot of understory vegetation in forests. If you’ve followed my blog at all, you’ll have seen me mention that our yards are all very dense meadow with a mixture of oldfield plants. That seems to provide ideal cover for fireflies. Well, I hope that the Ohio Valley is just experiencing a down-turn in the firefly cycle and that the numbers will soon be up again. Perhaps it’s weather related, although the other issue is habitat destruction - so maybe it’s a bit of both (?). Thanks for stopping by and posting a note to my blog.

]]> by: Autrice http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-1507 Wed, 07 Jun 2006 03:17:37 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-1507 There are several of us in the Ohio Valley area wondering where all our fireflies have gone. Our population count is low for this time of year. I was wondering if other people in this area have noticed this, or is it simply a localized phenomenon? There are several of us in the Ohio Valley area wondering where all our fireflies have gone. Our population count is low for this time of year. I was wondering if other people in this area have noticed this, or is it simply a localized phenomenon?

]]> by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-531 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 12:37:01 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-531 Wayne - Very interesting find! Thanks for posting that link. I'll have to do more follow-up on this topic. The matter of the larvae does seem puzzling. Why would they glow if they don't really need to, unless there's some other benefit? I'm wondering if it has to do with protection. I just looked up <a href="http://www.anapsid.org/fireflies.html" rel="nofollow">this reference</a>, as a couple of years ago, I read that fireflies can be toxic to other creatures such as amphibians and reptiles. Apparently, pet Bearded Dragons (a kind of lizard often kept as a pet) have died after consuming fireflies. About the toxins, it says: <blockquote>Researchers are uncovering chemicals in fireflies that are related to their luminescence. Some of these chemicals are cardenolides, similar to digitalis. Some are like the bufodienolides found in toads. These flying beetles also contain lucibufagins, a steroidal pyrone. Luciferin, a protein, circulates through the insect's blood stream, making the entire insect toxic to a wide variety of predators.</blockquote> and <blockquote>The fireflies' glow plays a dual role in the life of these beetles. The glow advertises the males' presence to females during the annual mating dance. But the glow also warns predators of the dangers of eating the beetles. Thus, birds and other potential predators are warned off, or learn the hard way that eating a firefly isn't a mistake that they can make twice.</blockquote> So, that may, in part, explain why the larvae do continue to glow even though it isn't required for reproduction. Also, it might explain why there is a "weak glow" produced by some of the adult <i>Ellychnia</i> for the first few days after they eclose -- perhaps providing them with added protection until they have had a chance to reproduce. From what I've read (so far), it seems that fireflies mate shortly after they eclose. In any case, there are lots of observations to be made on fireflies. If there's one thing I've read repeatedly when trying to find out more about them, it's that there is a lot that is still not known about <i>Lampyridae</i>. Of course, that's true for many insects and spiders, which just adds to the enjoyment of observing them. Wayne - Very interesting find! Thanks for posting that link. I’ll have to do more follow-up on this topic. The matter of the larvae does seem puzzling. Why would they glow if they don’t really need to, unless there’s some other benefit? I’m wondering if it has to do with protection. I just looked up this reference, as a couple of years ago, I read that fireflies can be toxic to other creatures such as amphibians and reptiles. Apparently, pet Bearded Dragons (a kind of lizard often kept as a pet) have died after consuming fireflies. About the toxins, it says:

Researchers are uncovering chemicals in fireflies that are related to their luminescence. Some of these chemicals are cardenolides, similar to digitalis. Some are like the bufodienolides found in toads. These flying beetles also contain lucibufagins, a steroidal pyrone. Luciferin, a protein, circulates through the insect’s blood stream, making the entire insect toxic to a wide variety of predators.

and

The fireflies’ glow plays a dual role in the life of these beetles. The glow advertises the males’ presence to females during the annual mating dance. But the glow also warns predators of the dangers of eating the beetles. Thus, birds and other potential predators are warned off, or learn the hard way that eating a firefly isn’t a mistake that they can make twice.

So, that may, in part, explain why the larvae do continue to glow even though it isn’t required for reproduction. Also, it might explain why there is a “weak glow” produced by some of the adult Ellychnia for the first few days after they eclose — perhaps providing them with added protection until they have had a chance to reproduce. From what I’ve read (so far), it seems that fireflies mate shortly after they eclose.

In any case, there are lots of observations to be made on fireflies. If there’s one thing I’ve read repeatedly when trying to find out more about them, it’s that there is a lot that is still not known about Lampyridae. Of course, that’s true for many insects and spiders, which just adds to the enjoyment of observing them.

]]> by: Wayne http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-529 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 10:09:31 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/04/29/diurnal-fireflies/#comment-529 Thanks for an illuminating and well-photographed story, Bev. It always brightens my day when brings to light something that I was so in the dark about that I hadn't even thought about it. This strikes me as a fascinating evolutionary phenomenon. I did a little googling and found <a href="http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/biolum/serveabs.cgi?branham.marc.15731" rel="nofollow">this abstract</a> of some work that adds to the conversation. The photic ability in those members of the family that do it are for sexual signaling and pheromone signally is reduced. In those members that don't do photic signalling, the pheromone system is strong. The photic system is complex, requiring not just the appropriate organs and physiological control, but also the synthesis of luciferin and its deposition - not to mention the large amounts of ATP that are required. I wonder how much of this orchestra the non-photic members have retained? Certainly your photograph shows that there are some gross external changes. And then there's the matter of the glowworms. If both the photic and non-photic adults are able to glow as kids you have to wonder why? The kids aren't doing sexual stuff and yet they retain what has to be a pretty expensive system. Just what are they down there in the dirt? Thanks for an illuminating and well-photographed story, Bev. It always brightens my day when brings to light something that I was so in the dark about that I hadn’t even thought about it.

This strikes me as a fascinating evolutionary phenomenon. I did a little googling and found this abstract of some work that adds to the conversation.

The photic ability in those members of the family that do it are for sexual signaling and pheromone signally is reduced. In those members that don’t do photic signalling, the pheromone system is strong.

The photic system is complex, requiring not just the appropriate organs and physiological control, but also the synthesis of luciferin and its deposition - not to mention the large amounts of ATP that are required. I wonder how much of this orchestra the non-photic members have retained? Certainly your photograph shows that there are some gross external changes.

And then there’s the matter of the glowworms. If both the photic and non-photic adults are able to glow as kids you have to wonder why? The kids aren’t doing sexual stuff and yet they retain what has to be a pretty expensive system. Just what are they down there in the dirt?

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