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Solly Mack

(94,539 posts)

9. Urban lights, development, and pesticides do change where they mate/survival rate.

Reply to Blue_true (Original post)

Thu May 17, 2018, 02:29 PM

May 2018

You mainly see them after they emerge to mate - all the display of light.

The brighter the area the less effective those calls to mate are - so you see them more where there is less light. Even car lights change their light patterns (for calling mates).

Habitat loss due to development - they need decaying wood, wooded areas, and also near ponds and streams - leaf litter to survive in the larvae stage.

Pesticides are also a problem.

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A question for DUERS from Florida and other warm southern states. [View all] Blue_true May 2018 OP

I have this same thought regularly, although slightly modified ExciteBike66 May 2018 #1

Why are fireflies disappearing? RKP5637 May 2018 #2

Interesting. I noticed from observation, you gave some science. Blue_true May 2018 #4

It's a little early yet in Georgia, after a long cool spell. Orsino May 2018 #3

I didn't notice many last summer, or the one before. Blue_true May 2018 #7

They are less common in Northern Georgia than they were back in the day. dawg May 2018 #5

I'll see the occasional solo lightning bug but not the swarms I saw growing up in Maryland. nt Tommy_Carcetti May 2018 #6

I grew up in upstate New York and I remember them. smirkymonkey May 2018 #8

Urban lights, development, and pesticides do change where they mate/survival rate. Solly Mack May 2018 #9

I saw them as a child in Georgia and Maryland MaryMagdaline May 2018 #10

I was born in Florida OriginalGeek May 2018 #11

Uggh! When the oranges are ripe - driving through MaryMagdaline May 2018 #14

I'm up North (MN), but we have tons of them in summer NickB79 May 2018 #12

I remember them well growing up in PA mcar May 2018 #13