What attracts lightning bugs (fireflies)?

You may have spent summer evenings chasing fireflies around the vegetable garden with a mason jar as a kid, but if it seems like there aren't as many of those twinkling bugs lighting up the night sky these days, you're not imagining it. read more

Many adult fireflies eat very little, but regardless, many eat a variety of pollen and nectar, so having a lot of flowers around should prove enticing. (And that approach is good for other pollinators, too!) Dim the lights. Since fireflies are so reliant on their “fire,” confusing them with artificial light can cause many problems. read more

Fireflies are not flies at all, but are a kind of beetle. They are also called lightning bugs. Firefly eggs hatch into little worm-like creatures called larvae. read more

Fireflies—or lightning bugs, as you might call them—are under threat, which researchers suspect has to do with habitat loss, light pollution, and widespread pesticide use, according to Firefly Watch, a citizen science project led by the Museum of Science in Boston. read more