Wildlife
Fireflies are best known for the enchanting light emitted from their abdomens. The yellows, greens and reds result from a chemical reaction known as bioluminescence, used to attract both mates and prey. Males flash at night and if a female is impressed by the display she will flash back. If she isn't, she remains hidden in the dark. There are 2,000 species of these winged beetles, found in damp meadows and marshes. If enough gather together, it's rumoured to be possible to read a book from their light. There are day-flying fireflies that don't produce light.
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Disco show
George McGavin tests the theory that fireflies can create enough light to read a book by.
George McGavin tests the theory that fireflies can create enough light to read a book by.
The Fireflies can be found in a number of locations including: North America, South America, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. This chemically produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow, green, or pale-red, with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers.
About 2,000 species of firefly are found in temperate and tropical environments. Many are in marshes or in wet, wooded areas where their larvae have abundant sources of food. These larvae emit light and often are called "glowworms", in particular, in Eurasia. In the Americas, "glow worm" also refers to the related Phengodidae. In many species, both male and female fireflies have the ability to fly, but in some species, females are flightless.
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