Dear Tom,
I've heard that fireflies are decreasing in numbers, but in early August the fields south of Davenport were aglow with them. Why do they flash? Does the weather affect their flashing?
Steve Pond, Chicago
Dear Steve,
Firefly numbers worldwide have declined precipitously in recent years, but the cause is unknown. All 2,000+ species of fireflies have one thing in common: bioluminescence, the ability to produce visible light, but does the weather have anything to do with it?
Dr. James Case of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the Univ. California, Santa Barbara, says, "Behaviorally, luminescence in fireflies functions in mating, with each species tending to have a distinct communication flash code." The timing and sequence of flashes enable females and males to communicate with each other in preparation for mating, and weather has nothing to do with it.
I've heard that fireflies are decreasing in numbers, but in early August the fields south of Davenport were aglow with them. Why do they flash? Does the weather affect their flashing?
Steve Pond, Chicago
Dear Steve,
Firefly numbers worldwide have declined precipitously in recent years, but the cause is unknown. All 2,000+ species of fireflies have one thing in common: bioluminescence, the ability to produce visible light, but does the weather have anything to do with it?
Dr. James Case of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the Univ. California, Santa Barbara, says, "Behaviorally, luminescence in fireflies functions in mating, with each species tending to have a distinct communication flash code." The timing and sequence of flashes enable females and males to communicate with each other in preparation for mating, and weather has nothing to do with it.
