1) Fireflies are Beetles:
In this article, you will find best 5 interesting facts about Fireflies. Fireflies are actually lightening Beetles in the order Coleoptera. They radiate greenish-yellow light in ON and OFF mode alternatively. The purpose of its blinking light is to attract its opposite sex for mating and to bring preys close to it. In Kanyakumari, India around my home Fireflies are orange in color, very attractive and emit greenish-yellow light through its abdominal part. When we sit out of home at night in darkness (in the absence of electricity) these lightning bugs emits its lights and makes the darkness into beautiful in that cold atmosphere.
2) How Fireflies Produce Light:
It produces light with the absence of electromagnetic rays like infrared or ultraviolet. By combining Oxygen (by breathing) and luciferin (substance within the body of fireflies) lightning bugs produce light. The uniqueness of the light emitted by fireflies is that it gives only light and no heat (bioluminescence). The emitted natural light has the wavelength of 510 to 670 nanometers. 'Synchronous Fireflies' are the one and only species of lightning bugs those can synchronize the light to ON and OFF mode simultaneously.
3) The Time of Mating:
Fireflies intercourse with its opposite gender for 2 weeks in every single year. When the mating time begins the Fireflies begins to flash its yellow, bluish or greenish yellow light for its procreation. The eggs are laid under the dust (on the ground). Within few weeks the eggs hatch and larvae come out.
4) Habits:
Fireflies like to live in open areas with dense grass and plants. During the night they fly over the Trees. They prefer moist atmosphere. Sometimes Fireflies come to our home also as a guest. The chemical found in the body of Lightening Bugs can be used for specific medical treatment.
5) Food that Fireflies Eat:
Most of the adult Firefly species never eat at all and their lifetime is also too short but as young larvae, they live for nearly one year. The newborn larvae eat small insects and worms as food. Larvae kill its preys by using a digestive enzyme. In some species of lightning bugs, the eggs and larvae also capable of emitting light. Lightening bugs of some species eat lightning bugs of other closely related species. They sexually attract other closely related species of fireflies (Prey) by radiating particular light code and then hunt and eat when the prey comes near.
Fireflies use the best tactic to escape from its enemies like snake lizards etc. It makes its enemies hate it by shedding bitter tasted bad smelling blood throughout its body. So Lizards, Snakes etc avoid eating fireflies.
Few Scientists believe that man-made lights glowing at night are interrupting the lifestyle of fireflies. Due to the bright light emitted from homes and other buildings or vehicles, fireflies are losing their communicating ability, since they can communicate each other through their own light. Due to the interruptions of human beings, the population of fireflies is reducing as the day goes.
