It’s a treat to the eyes to view thousands of fireflies flashing their bright yellow light around us…. It’s like the stars floating in the air! In a few days we will be able to experience this magnificent wonder of nature here at Vrundawan. We welcome all the nature lovers to be a part of this glorious event.
Let’s know about this beautiful glowing insect….
Fireflies are also called as glow worms or lightening bugs. They are soft bodied beetles and are of around 2000 species. The flashing light is a signal to attract mates. Females do not have wings so they stay on ground and respond to the male’s signal for mating.
Not all fireflies’ glow. Some species use different mechanism to attract mates.
Fireflies feed on snails, slugs, pill bugs. They come out in rains and moist climate. So, fireflies also emerge just few days after rain starts. After mating, the female lays eggs on or just beneath the ground.
Fireflies are distasteful to predators as they contain a poisonous steroid.
The most interesting is the light production in a firefly. This is due to a chemical process called ‘bioluminescence’. This occurs in specialized light emitting organs of a firefly. The enzyme luciferase acts on luciferin to produce the ‘cold light’. With almost no heat, this is the most efficient light without a lot of energy being lost on heat.
Now a days, because of a lot of civilization firefly population is under threat. Light pollution, Outdoor lights prevent fireflies from seeing each other’s flashes and have hard time finding mates. Other threats include habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
Let’s help the fireflies by switching off the outdoor lights in the season of firefly mating…
Ketaki Mhaskar
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