Exploring Nature's Wonders Upon A Summer's Eve

May beetle dangling from foliage at night.

Revelations of truth, beauty, wonder and the firefly wars!
By Terry Lynch, Naturalist and Photographer

William Shakespeare referred to a species of nosy flying beetle as, "The shard-bone chafer with his drowsy hum." In North America these May beetles are commonly observed attracted to light at night toward the end of Spring. They cause a loud zapping or popping sound when they fly into bug zappers, hypnotized by the glaring UV light electronic insect exterminators which paranoid home owners sometimes hang outdoors to kill a few mosquitoes, yet instead creating light pollution which results in the mass destruction of much beneficial aeroplankton. Unlike mosquitoes, adult May beetles are generally harmless to humans they do not bite or sting humans and provide food for bats, birds, frogs, spiders and other small animals; hence in their adult form May beetles serve as an important food source for other wildlife, as do many other harmless nocturnal insects.

On warm, humid, summer evenings I have often observed May beetles dangling from trees at night, hanging from oak or magnolia leaves, clinging at rest like acrobats, or gorging themselves upon the green bounty. Their eyes gleam with an orange reflection when illuminated with a bright flash light.

I've seen my dog, Angel, dig up May beetle larvae, which are six-legged grubs with large heads. Angel also enjoys sniffing out the adult beetles before they take flight. She does not eat them, just chews on them, then spits them out, perhaps because they legs are spiny and not comfortable to have in one's mouth. I've never eaten a May beetle, but judged on Angel's reaction I conclude they are not so delightful as to swallow even if you are a dog.

At about the same time May beetles appear, Magnolia trees (Magnolia grandiflora) blossom in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and other Gulf Coastal states. Their large flowers present a glorious array of white alpine petals which produce a perfume that attracts bees, flies, and beetles. The great white flowers are spectacular subjects to photograph day or night. The flowers may remain fully open for a single day, being pollinated by bees or other insects which relish their flavor; then, after a single day of glory, the snow white leaves fade to brown and fall to the ground. Magnolia blossoms are one of my favorite subjects to photograph during Spring, climbing upon ladder, balancing precariously, composing the picture, focusing carefully, and snapping the shutter, time and time again, looking for that perfect composition, as did Ansel Adams wondering through Yosemite. Yet my Half-domes and El Capatans are not made out of megalithic granite rocks; rather, they are as delicate as angel's wings, and a mere touch will bruise and brown the magnolia's blossom.

It's early June in Dixie and bees are attracted to the sweet perfum of magnolia flower blossome arriving to frolick in a pile of stamens which have collected in the cup of a large petal while still the sun is low in the eastern sky and neighbors may be heard mowing their lawns in the cool of the morning.

Appropriately Mississippi has designated the magnolia as its state flower and tree, but few people have ever watched as upon an early morning the sun falls upon an opening magnolia blossom, and bees and other insects are attracted from afar, coming one after another to hover for an instant, then land and dance upon the purple-bottom pollen-bearing stamen stalks loosened and piled in the open landing strip petals, their white folds cupping the pollen as if to make an offering unto these buzzing gods, which reap their reward, then vanish into the dawn.

No doubt my neighbors wonder what I'm doing up on the ladder among the magnolia blossoms as they come out early to mow their lawns, disturbing the peace and quite, polluting the air with the smell of oily gas fumes. As the sun rises higher and the day begins to warm, other visitors frequent the magnolia blossoms. There are honey bees, flies, and long horned beetles, all have but a day to relish each sweet blossom before it is spent. Yet on the next tomorrow new magnolia flowers will open for several weeks until every flower on each tree through every city and town in the deep south is fertilized, that then a new generation of magnolia trees is born as red seedlings grow, maturing through the hot summer which follows each Spring in Dixie land.

As the sun set, dipping beneath the western horizon after producing a spectacular drama of golden sun beams and majestic orange, red or purple clouds, the daylight fades bringing twilight and the flight of a thousand tiny twinkling lamps dancing over urban lawns. Each flashing light is as a winged angel, a firefly, that casts a spell of romance upon all lovers courting the object of their affection, young and old alike awed by the spectacular display of so many flashing lights in the night. Yet this spectacle is not what it seems and has been so frequently described as mere courtship behavior; rather, its firefly warfare, the competition not only for a mate, but for territory and food, with the winner reaping that as a reward for its children, thousands upon thousands of tiny glowing larvae, each themselves hunters which prey upon such soft bodied animals as slugs, snails and earthworms, turning their flesh to juice, and eating them alive!

Each species of firefly is as a colony or social network which uses light not only as a means to find its mate, but as a way to network, such that fireflies of a similar species represent aggregates, colonies, tribes or armies, each adult firefly being the parent of a soldier's son or daughter which will spend its larvae life hunting, stalking its prey, eating and devouring earthworms, snails or slugs many times their size. Indeed, the summer twilight flights of fireflies are not merely romantic interludes and courtships, but represent the usage of light as an instrument of warfare, linking swarms together by their species specific flash patters, that through competition territory may be dominated and food resources obtained, not for the parent fireflies, but for their young and generations to come.

A single fertile female firefly, such as the large Photinus pyralis which I have long observed and studies, may deposit over 300 bioluminescent, pearl white eggs. Each egg glows with a greenish hue and after about two weeks small firefly larvae will hatch. If one disturbs a Petri dish of firefly eggs, the tiny larvae developing inside will be alarmed, each egg contained larvae flashing brightly! It's one of those spectacular sites that few people have witnessed first hand, as collecting firefly eggs and rearing firefly larvae is not a very popular occupation or hobby. I feel blessed to say that it is one I have enjoyed since a teenager and would certainly recommend over some of the hideous and wasteful ways in which teens of the modern world are throwing away their lives, abusing alcohol, marijuana, LSD, or other chemical substances, an act of self destruction which is irresponsible and pollutes the human body, in the same manner as does BP oil spewing millions of barrels of toxic goo into the Gulf of Mexico, polluting the ocean and killing wildlife in epic proportions.

Photinus pyralis eggs in cluster

Not only is light used as a weapon by fireflies which communicate and network to mate, compete for territory and come to dominate entire fields and forests with that species which is most successful, but some species such as Photuris use their flashing light to mimic the flash response of their competitors, luring them, as if one were using light as bait to fish for other fireflies. This aggressive mimicry was first observed and described by Dr. James E. Lloyd who I had the pleasure of meeting. In fact, I audited and Aced an entomology course taught by Dr. Lloyd while working as a technician at the Department of Entomology and Nematology in Gainesville, Florida where Dr. Lloyd's office was located. I actually set up a field station in a tent in the woods across from Lake Alice and spent my evenings observing, collecting and studying fireflies and their larvae. I became quite familiar with Photuris, frequenting the Medicinal Plant Garden to collect adults. On a number of occasions I have discovered a female Photuris which has lured and captured a male firefly which it devours prior to flying off to let nourish and deposit its own batch of eggs.

Female Photuris makes rear assault of male Photinus. By making a rear assault as shown here, the humped-back Photuris avoids getting bitten by its prey which also has large mandibles and might be able to inflict a paralyzing bite. Photuris remaines straddling its victim, clutching its prey from the back, biting its head for many minutes. This serves to paralyze the victim. Only later after many minutes did Photuris move to a different position, feeding upon the side of its prey's head and then flipping its prey over to feed upon its underside. PHOTO Copyright 2008 by Terry Lynch.

Aggressive mimicry is firefly warfare taken to the extreme. This behavior is analogous to intercepting and deciphering the enemies coded messages and turning the knowledge gained into action which results in destruction of the enemy. Photuris also gains from preying upon Photinus in another way. Photinus has a white, milky blood which contains chemicals which are distasteful and even toxic to some animals which learn to avoid eating these bitter fireflies, or their species might perish. Thus Photuris is out flanking its enemy, stealing its weapon and using it to enable a greater probability for its own survival.

Firefly warfare involves not only adult fireflies, but their larvae. When one gazes upon a field or forest and sees many different fireflies flashing, what they are seeing is a competition, a war raging among adult fireflies for control of territory and the food source that territory represents for the young or larvae of a future generation of fireflies. Yet though we may easily view adult fireflies, flying, flashing and advertising themselves, the firefly larvae are less visible, for they live in the soil or leaf litter, or scour wetlands, visible only to the most keen observer and aware naturalist who makes night hunting their passion. Only when one becomes aware of the firefly larvae and the role they play in a species coming to dominate a territory and range, can the nature of fireflies be fully understood, not as romance, but as all out warfare!

Photinus pyralis larvae wrapped around an earthworm and gorging itself upon its prey, a victim many times its size which was paralyzed with toxic venom, liquefied and eaten alive. Photo Copyright 2008 by Terry Lynch.

Indeed, what is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of competition between the various species of fireflies, what I am calling firefly warfare, is that it is not limited to adult fireflies, but includes behavior of their respective larvae. Each type of firefly larvae has developed behavior that contributes to their survival. The larvae of Photinus pyralis tend to aggregate when young. They will latch on to earthworms with their anal appendages, paralyze the earthworms, bury them in a chamber, turn their flesh to juice and devour them! The newly hatched larvae of P. pyralis will cluster closely together, and when offered an earthworm several larva may use their anal appendages, which are covered with hundreds of grappling-hook like hairs, to latch on to the earthworm. The venomous bites of several P. pyralis larvae will quickly render an earthworm motionless; then other P. pyralis larvae may join the feast, working as if together to burry the earthworm, then to liquify and devour this feast. Of course the earthworms do not go without a struggle. When a firefly larvae latches onto an earthworm and injects venom, the earthworm responds by making a death roll, twisting and turning its body over and over, as if to remove the larvae; yet the grappling-hook anal appendage of the larvae holds it fast to the earthworm and the venom gradually calms the struggling earthworm, that it grows motionless. Then other firefly larvae, perhaps alerted by the earthworms violent struggle, come to the feast.

Photinus pyralis larvae rips and tears at the flesh of an earthworm. Firefly larvae are engaged in a fierce competition for food and the control of territory, a competition that is akin to warfare, which involves also the flashing of adult fireflies to find mates or prey upon other species of fireflies. The flashing of fireflies is also a way the species communicate to remain aggregated together, in groups, to establish loose colonies of related individuals, that grow in size over time, and with domination of a territory and extermination of other species of fireflies, may result in large synchronous flashing displays.

I've seen young P. pyralis larvae kill earthworms many times their size, then groups of P. pyralis larvae would bury the earthworm, forming a small chamber where the P. pyralis larvae could slowly devour their prey over time, moulting and growing as they enjoy their feast, safe and secure in their tiny chambers beneath the surface where flies or other surface dwelling flesh eaters might not discover the immobilized earthworm. The larvae of P. pyralis pupate in their subsurface chambers to emerge as adults, often seen in great numbers. Because P. pyralis larvae eat earthworms and live beneath the soil, suburban lawns make an ideal habitat and this species survives well along side man, provided people do not use herbicides, insecticides or over fertilize their lawns.

The anal appendage of Photinus pyralis is covered with hundreds of tiny modified hairs that act like grappling hooks. With its anal appendage the firefly larvae may secure itself to objects, which enables it to walk and cling to many different surfaces. Firefly larvae can use their anal appendages to aid in feeding under water. The anal appendage also enable larvae to cling to earthworms or other soft bodied animals, which the larvae injects with venom. Hence the anal appendage and the syringe like mandibles of the firefly larvae are like weapons used by the firefly larvae to attack and kill its prey.

The larvae of Photuris behave quite differently. Photuris larvae are quite aggressive and tend not to enjoy the company of their brothers and sisters. If a piece of food is offered to Photuris larvae which have newly hatched from eggs, they will be attracted to the food, but when they encounter another of their kin they react by aggressively chasing the larvae away! Photuris larvae fight among themselves and are not very cooperative. This aggressive behavior tends to make Photuris larvae solitary; each larvae wonders in exploration for its own food source, hunting and prowling through leaf litter for earthworm, slugs or snails. Hence Photuris larvae have the advantage of dispersing and being able to cover territory rapidly on their night hunts. Quite frequently I have found large Photuris larvae, each a solitary hunter, crawling through leaf litter, coming to flash very brightly when disturbed, an alarm response which may be of survival benefit. When ready to pupate, Photuris larvae secure themselves in an igloo built of leaf litter and debris, later emerging as adults to prowl the night, the adults just as aggressive as their larvae forms, often preying upon other species of fireflies.

Then there is Pyractomena. These fireflies are common in wetlands. Their larvae feast upon aquatic snails. Firefly larvae have the ability to remain submerged for long periods while hunting for snails. Also their anal appendages allow larvae to crawl and cling to vegetation while in search of food. Hence in the fresh water marshes and wetlands, the larvae of Pyratomena forge, hunting for snails. Wetlands is territory that these firefly larvae have come to dominate. When ready to pupate Pyractomena larvae will crawl up vegetation, secure themselves to a tree trunk or branch, then moult. The emerging adult beetle then sets for a short spell until its skin tans and hardens before beginning its nocturnal mating flight.

Photinus pyralis I-instar larva is almost translucent when it first emerges from its egg case. This affords an excellent opportunity to photograph the young larvae and observe internal structures. To see more photographs visit the Firefly Gallery.

Therefore Photinus pyralis larvae, Photuris larvae and Pyractomena larvae, each has distinctly different strategies for survival. P. pyralis larvae aggregates and benefits from a cooperative behavior, especially in the early stages of larvae life. On the other hand, Photuris larvae are aggressive and solitary; Photuris larvae benefit from being very active, hunting prey, dispersing relatively rapidly over a wide area. On the other hand, Pyractomena larvae feast upon aquatics snails which they hunt in wetlands. Therefore three distinctly different firefly larvae behaviors and survival strategies contribute to give each firefly larvae type specific competitive survival advantages. Working as a group, aggregating, living in chambers beneath the soil, sharing a food source, as do P. pyralis larvae, certainly benefits Photinus as a species. The marauding, solitary hunter behavior of Photuris, actively scouring above the surface of the soil, through leaf litter and debris, certainly benefits Photuris as a species. Then Pyractomena larvae, enjoying a diet of aquatic snails, open wetlands to this species, a territory which makes Pyractomena a dominate species around lakes, rivers, swamps and marshes, virtually any where their host species of aquatic snails may thrive.

Photinus pyralis firefly larvae inside egg. Firefly larvae glow inside the eggs and will produce a bright flash when a Petri dish of eggs is disturbed, as by tapping upon a desk top. It takes only a slight vibration to alarm the developing firefly larvae inside the egg. When firefly larvae hatch, they are clear an will soon tan, taking upon the appearance of their characteristic species. They will then begin to feed and moult between feedings as they grow.

Given that I have a passion for fireflies and their study, I have observed and studied their firefly larvae for many years, learning to collect firefly eggs and rear firefly larvae. Hence I became aware that not only was there competition among the various adult species of fireflies, but that this competition also involved the various species of firefly larvae and continues largely unobserved and unknown to most firefly watchers. In fact the casual observer or so called "firefly watcher" is not what I would call an expert, and certainly not a naturalist. In 2008 the Museum of Science (MOS), Boston, began a Firefly Watch, asking everyone, everywhere to report firefly sighting, that they may determine if firefly populations are being effected by such factors as global warming, spraying for mosquitos, or urbanization, in general. Yet after I learned of the MOS Firefly Watch, and discovered they were not even asking everyone to collect and identify specimens, that firefly ID was limited to flash pattern recognition, a skill that is not easy to learn and certainly which must still be confirmed by collecting specimens and making very careful examination of their morphology, I was somewhat dismayed! This represents very BAD science! Your typical "firefly watcher" is largely ignorant as to what is going on when they see fireflies flashing; they tend to romanticize with respect to the beautiful summer displays of fireflies, not realizing that what they are witnessing is firefly warfare, that each flash represent competition for a mate, competition for survival of the species, of that species of firefly most able to dominate a territory, not just for itself, but for it larvae young and that future generation of fireflies.

Often I have been fortunate to gaze upon virgin meadows and forests swarming with fireflies. I once stumbled upon a mass synchronous flashing of fireflies in a wooded area just southeast of Tyler, Texas. I was on a cross-country trip and the near-by state park campground was full, so I went exploring and found a logging road which lead to a clear cut area. All the large trees had been cut leaving stumps and a developing meadow. That night I was treated to an unexpected treat. Thousands upon thousands of fireflies emerged in the young meadow and soon were flashing in synchrony! I had previously thought this was a behavior only observed in Asian fireflies. While studying P. pyralis in northern Alabama I had observed small groups of flying males tend to synchronize their flashes, but the Tyler, Texas fireflies were the first I'd ever seen flash in synchrony by the thousands!

Such large displays of singular species of fireflies flashing in synchrony is analogous to a cry of VICTORY! The victorious species has come to conquer and dominate its territory, wiping out and destroying the competition through establishing a more successful method of communicating and networking, such that its young may acquire more food and develop to maturity in greater and greater numbers, that through generations a large and related colony or army of fireflies is established, that they may flash in synchrony, no disrupting or disturbing flashes coming from other species, which have been made virtually extinct in the dominated territory by the victor species!

That fireflies use light not only for love, but for war, is quite a discovery. This certainly affirms the idea of survival of the fittest promoted by Charles Darwin and his great work which set forth the manner in which species evolve. Fireflies have perhaps taken the principle to a new level as they have evolved to use light to communicate, to locate their mates, to lure competeting species to their deaths, and to establish vast networks of related individuals which over time enables tribes to develop and synchronous flashing armies to emerge, united in spectacular displays which cry, "Victory! Victory! Victory! I am Photinus!" or "I am Photuris!"

Such mass emergings of fireflies and their synchronous flashing are rare, but not uncommon. Other such displays have been observed in the Smoky Mountains and may be more common than one realizes. One factor which plays a role is that adult fireflies (such as P. pyralis) have a mean life-span of about 14 days. So unless an extremely large number of fireflies all emerge at the same time, and occur in an area where other species have been exterminated by previous generations of competition, both of adults and their larvae, and are witnessed when conditions are perfect for a mass emergence, then no one is present to see the spectacular synchronous victory flashing displays. Yet though a tree may fall in a forest, and fireflies may flash in mass synchronous victory displays, these both occur regardless of the presence of human ears and eyes to bare witness. The proof of this is in the witness of so many trees and so many fireflies, for neither could occur in such numbers unless there were previous generations and competition so fierce that it can truly be defined as firefly warfare!

After the great forest fires which occurred in Yellowstone National Park in 1988, I went to visit the park and investigate the results of the fire. Visiting Yellowstone and spending a summer in the park photographing its spectacular wonders was an epiphany! Never again would I hesitate to tell anyone who asked, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, is there any sound?" I guarantee you, there is sound when a tree falls, and certainly if a tree's fall is the result of a raging fire storm, heard or not, you can see the result and would not only have heard the tumbling of trees had you been present, but you would have been burnt to a crisp!

Fallen trees in Yellowstone National Park serve as a testament to the raging fire storm. Not only was there sound, but had you been present you would certainly have been roasted to a crisp!

Comparing the paradox of not hearing a tree fall in the forest and the nature of sound to the witnessing a mass synchronous flashing of fireflies and whether such displays occur, be they seen or not, presents one with a perplexing muse. More simply, if a singular firefly flashes and is not seen, except perhaps by another firefly, has there been a flash of light? If a firefly flashes and is seen, and one does not collect the firefly, identify its species and record the flash, was there ever a firefly flash at all? And what type of firefly did the flashing if no specimen was collected and identified? I present this muse as it is at the heart of why I am a naturalist, why in my observation and study of nature I enjoy documenting my observations photographically. By taking a picture I have evidence to show that I saw a May beetle clinging to a leaf, that I saw a magnolia blossom being pollinated by a bee, or that I saw fireflies flashing, reared and studied their larvae. Pictures are worth a thousand, thousand words, and although one's testament may be fact, if you can get a photograph or other recording of what you saw to show to others, then all you have is words, which may be true or false. Unless one can see what another saw, then it takes being honest and having faith to believe in words alone. Of course in this modern age of digital images, where any photograph or video recording my be staged or manipulated, seeing is not always believing. One must be honest, not only with their words, but with their pictures. Otherwise anything may be reported, such as alien grubs in nebular galaxies!

Photograph of alien grub floating in Crab Nebula. I enjoy searching for creatures which glow and certainly know how to tell the difference between fact and fiction. This fanciful graphic of grubs floating in space may create a sensation, but it is an obvious fabrication, just as may be any report that is made and not backed up with physical evidence.

Of course even physical evidence, including documents and photographs, may be fabricated, as in the case of the alien grubs graphic. Though this may make for a great science fiction thriller, "The invasion of alien grubs," no one in their right mind is going to believe that there are alien grubs floating around in the Crab Nebula. A study or survey which relies upon unsubstanciated reports, claims, boasts, or sightings is BAD science. Courts try to get around people giving false testimony by making them swear to tell the truth on the penalty of perjury, but still many people lie to escape justice or for other greedy, selfish, corrupt purposes. Some people even make claims or hoaxs just to get attention, as in the case of making crop circles, reporting UFOs, or other false sightings.

There is another kind of UFO, the alleged sighting of fireflies, without making proper documentation, which includes collecting and identifying specimens and/or recording the sighting photographically, electronically or in some other manner which other scientists may repeat. Since I started the Firefly FAQ site, many people have written me reporting UFOs or unidentified firefly objects. They describe what they saw and want me to confirm that they may have seen fireflies. I do not hesitate to denounce a firefly sighting if one can not provide specimens of the fireflies they claim to have observed. Collecting specimens or at the very least taking a photograph, is essential when studying nature.

Although people may lie in court, lie to the press, lie to the media, lie on-line, or create wild and outlandish claims to get attention, or conduct all sorts of fradulent schemes and scams as to make money, it is more difficult to get away with a lie when observing nature or a natural phenomena. This is becaue other scientists can use the scientific method to determine fact from fiction, and have an unlimited amount of time to study nature and determine the truth. Hence the scientific method of observation, experimentation, collection of data, its analysis and reporting one's findings that other scientists may check your results and conclusions to see if they can consistantly get the same result, is much superior to that of legal testimony in courts of law. Anyone may testify or claim that they saw a firefly, or anything else for that matter, but without physical evidence, a photograph, or other recording, a third or forth party is left to judge whether or not they want to believe a person. Perhaps the person is telling the truth; maybe they are lying. A clever lawyer might be able to assissinate one's character so that no one will believe them, even though they are telling the truth and saw a whole field of fireflies. Or one may be lying and if they have a carismatic or adorable personality, perhaps they may have a easy time convensing others they saw fireflies galore, when in fact the saw none.

When it came to my attention that the Museum of Science in Boston was conducting a Firefly Watch program , I recalled the many times that people had written to me claiming to having seen fireflies or wanting to know what they had seen. When I visited the MOS "Firefly Watch" site I confirmed to myself that they were not requiring that sightings be confirmed through the collection of specimens or even asking people to take photographs, either of the fireflies they captured or of the displays they claimed to witness. People everywhere were simply being asked to select a habitat, watch for fireflies 10 minutes once a week, and report their observations. Inotherwords they were being asked to make unidentified firefly object reports! Indeed, this was very BAD science. A closer look at the firefly sightings people were reporting even showed that one person in central Colorado reported seeing 6-20 fireflies at 7000+ feet! Why at that elevation up in the Rocky Mountains the soil is going to be so cold for the majority of the year that firefly larvae would not be able to actively hunt for food, feed, metabloize their food, grow, moult, and reach maturity.

Are there really fireflies at 7000+ feet in the middle of Colorado or is someone making a false report? Certainly this sighting would qualify as a UFO or, unidentified firefly objects. But since no specimens have been collected and there is no photographic or other recorded evidence beyond an alleged report, God only knows what someone is seeing. Baring the ability to make and repeat an experiment, calculate or observe the result and come to a conclusion that others may also reach, one is left in the dark. Who knows, there may be fireflies at 7,000+ feet in the Colorado Rockies, as one MOS firefly watcher has reported. But I for one don't think so, unless they were imported because at that elevation the soil is too cold for too much of the year to permit firefly larvae development. Then of course maybe there are alien grubs in the crab nebula or elsewhere in the universe. But I don't think so. If the 7000+ feet Colorado firefly sighting is a hoax, how many other false or fallacious reports of firefly sighting have been made? If this report is not a hoax, why have not those conducting this study noticed this abnomility and insisted that specimens be collected and provided to confirm the sighting?

I cannot account for the actions of other, be certain of their motives, or always know when someone is telling the truth or lying. But I can tell you that I have been all over Colorado and never seen a firefly in that state. I've seen a lot of snow up in the Rocky Mountains, but never any fireflies. I've even seen fly fishermen and plenty of fishing flies, but I don't know of any fly fisherman using fishing flies made to look like fireflies, given that is what the fish in the area are eating. I think if there were fireflies in Colorado, fly fishermen would know this and have reported the fact. But it ain't happened! Sorry, but this sounds like a very tall "firefly tale" to me by someone who likes trying to pull a fast one on the esteemed professors who setup and are running the MOS Firefly Watch.

Of course I am a believer in people and as such I believe that the majority of people are honest. That said the MOS Firefly Watch is still very BAD science because no one is asked to collect the fireflies they report seeing, no idetification of specimens is being made, and hence there is no physical evidence being amassed to confirm what one saw. Although the majority of reports may be honest, still there is no way to confirm what species of fireflies people are reporting, if indeed they are always seeing a firefly flash. Because of this ambiguity and uncertainty, I personally have little confidence in the data being collected; any conclusions reached would be highly unreliable and open to question.

Since everyone in the study is being asked to report firefly sightings, without collecting specimens or making photographic or other records of the sightings, every report is a UFO or "unidentified firefly object." This is very BAD science, especially when most everyone in the study may be an alias, an unknown person identified only by their email address which is usually NOT a real person's name, said reporters even operating under alias names! Thus you have prime territory for lies, lies and more lies, or at least for people not to care enough about what they are reporting or what others are reporting, to even take the time and make the effort to confirm sightings by collecting and identifying firefly specimens. This is not only BAD science, it is some of the worst science I've ever seen! The results, therefore, will not only be very questionable, they will have no merit whatsoever to any serious entomologist, naturalist or other person who studies firefly behavior.

I have been taking photographs since I was a young lad of seven years old. My father, Leonard P. Lynch gave me a Kodack camera and taught me how to use it. I've also been interested in entomology since I was a young boy and would watch beetles, praying mantis, and bees. I'd always heard that bees would sting so to find out what it was like to be stung by a been, I caught a honey bee that was pollenating white clover flowers. I removed the honey bee from the jar and held it in my hand. Sure enough, bees sting! But I had no idea they hurt so much! That was the only time I did that experiment. It taught me a good lesson; the truth can be painful, but often you must suffer some pain in life to find out the truth.

You can believe I saw a firefly, May beetle or a bee pollinating a magnolia flower, because I took photographs and have showed them to you. You can believe that I reared firefly larvae as I took photographs of the eggs and larvae and showed them to you. "Show me yours and I will show you mine," is a pretty good way to tell if what one person has, experiences or perceives is the same as what you have witnessed. But without physical evidence, without something concrete to back up a report, be it a firefly sighting or anything else, there is no proof positive. Without a bee sting to prove that bees sting and what a bee sting feels like, there is no understanding of the nature of a bee sting; no seeing and knowing of proof positive. Hence the MOS Firefly Watch is largely without merit and proves or disproved nothing. The only way to rectify this is to at least collect fireflies that are observed, preserve them, and/or photograph them for the record ... or in the very least make a time laps photograph of firefly sightings.

President Barak Obama glowing inside a firefly egg. A Photuris firefly egg was photographed by the author, Terry Lynch, using a microscope and a digital camera. Then image was then digitally manipulated to add the president's image to demonstrate how one should not always believe what they see, read, hear or are told. This especially applies to any on-line survey of firefly reports by alias named individuals who are not required to collect firefly specimens they observe so that they may later be identified, or make other verifiable records. The graphic design may also serve as a special tribute to President Obama and symbol of enlightenment. It is perhaps the first image of a US President inside a firefly egg and as such may be regarded as a very valuable work of Art.

Creatures which glow I must search for, be they May beetles in the night or fireflies. I search for such glowing creatures not only with my eyes, but with a camera and with my heart. You see, what I am searching for is not just truth, but beauty. As is often said, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." Beauty, especially with respect to one's behavior, is a matter of the heart. Fireflies may create awe inspiring displays, but what one is seeing is not simply firefly romance, but firefly warfare! Perhaps in this respect beauty is not only in what one sees, but in how deeply one looks into the nature of that which ones perceives. If truth is beauty it certainly has much to do with how deeply we perceive. For what one sees upon the surface, may hide what is really hidden beneath the surface. In the case of fireflies, their awesome, fascinating displays may hide the fierce competition which is going on between species, the fight and the warfare to dominate, to control territory, not for one's self, but for posterity.

When one sees a forest of fallen trees, ravaged by fire, it is clear evidence of a catastrophic event, and when a photograph is taken of that evidence, it records the fact that the event occurred, which may then be shared with others. You may then imagine yourself witnessing the raging forest and the trees that were failed, in the firestorm. This is one bee you don't need to be stung by to prove it hurts. Nor do you need to hear the falling of the tree to know there was a firestorm which made a horrible sound. In fact, in this case as in many others, it is best to observe from afar, even when afar means we are in the present looking into the past.

Naturalist and photographer, Terry Lynch, enjoys exploring national parks, forests and scenic wonderlands. Shown here at a dangerous prebiscis above the Yellowstone River before decending into the canyon to search for visual treasures, landscape gems, and wildlife galore.

But afar may also mean looking into the future, dreaming and imagining what may be. The future is photographs and paintings we can make inside our minds, and just like the tales or stories we each tell, does not exist until it comes to pass. What is perhaps most marvelous is that we all may have a role in making the future, in making the world a better place, for each and everyone. Therefore I hope my reflections may contribute to making the world a more beautiful and enlightened world for all of humanity.

ADDENDUM: After publishing this article on the Internet and making further review of the MOS Firefly Watch program, I decided to try to help by joining the effort and contribting my own knowledge and experience, offering to help identify firefly specimens that people may send to me. See Dr. Firefly. I am asking everyone who is interested in studying and learning about fireflies collect and send firefly specimens preserved in 70% alcohol. Also I am asking everyone to take photographs of fireflies and please send these to me. These specimens and photographs will be used to make keys that can be used by everyone to help identify the fireflies they are observing. Also if anyone uses long exposure photography to record their firefly sightings they may also send these to Dr. Firefly.

After joining the MOS Fire Watch I posted my own observatins of fireflies at Lake Archusa, identifying the species of fireflies I observed. Given I had already collected specimens from the region, it was easy to note the two species of fireflies I observed flashing. I also posted an invitation in the members forum, inviting everyone to collect and send specimens. Hopefully over time this effort will help other make more accurate firefly observations and reports. I also made an additional post to referring everyone to this article so that those individuals who are most interested in studying and learning about fireflies may come to realize that what they are seeing in not just the harmless courtship of fireflies, but a life and death struggle for survival of the firefly species, what I like to call firefly warfare! This is an important distinction and discover, because it illustrates how light is being used to associate and aggregate individuals which are closely genetically related, such that the resulting tribe or society may gain survival advantage as a group rather than survival depending upon singular individuals.

While making further review of MOS FFW participants forum post, I discovered that some individuals were making an attempt to learn to identify the species of fireflies they were observing. Some individuals were also endeavoring to make photographic records. Also the full firefly data set (Excell file) being collected is being made available to everyone to download so that analysis may be made. This is most commendable! One of the questions people are always asking me is when and where is the best time and place to observe fireflies. The data being collected by the MOS FFW helps answer this question and will certainly serve as a good guide for those interested in observing fireflies in the near future. Usually I tell people that the best time and place to observe fireflies is in state parks, national forest, nature preserves or other public access areas which are not private property, as to avoid any conflicts which may arise from trespassing, and that the best time to observe fireflies is late Spring and throughout the summer. The data being collected and reported by firefly watchers around the country comfirms this good advice, sighting also the first and last dates that fireflies have been reported by state.

Please keep in mind that the data set produced by MOS FFW is based upon unidentified firefly object, UFO, sightings as no specimens were collected by observers. However some people who take their firefly studies more seriously are endeavoring to learn how to identify the species they are observing, using flash-patterns as a guide, taking photographs, and collecting specimens. Hopefully my advice that firefly specimens be collected and identified and that photographic evidence be compiled will serve to encourage others to also take their firefly studies seriously. Thus the MOS FFW, though BAD sicence, may be very good PR, helping to encourage education, learning, nature study and stimulating young and open hearts and minds to become aware of fireflies which are being impacted by urbanization and disappearing in many areas as a result of light pollution, over spraying for mosquitoes and turning forest, fields and meadows into asphalt parking lots and concrete urban jungles!