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Science Projects with Fireflies

Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are the flashing, glowing insects usually found in damp fields and woods. The males are the ones you will see flying. The females, which stay in the grass and on shrubs and bushes, attract the males by flashing. The fireflies "talk" to each other by flashing in different patterns. These insects have several different characteristics that are simple to observe and study.

Artificial Fireflies
- Glow sticks (the kind you "break" to create a glowing light) give off a cool light, similar to the light fireflies give off. You can do this experiment to help illustrate the effect of temperature on fireflies.
  Start by snaping two glow sticks, making them glow. Put one of the glow sticks in a glass of ice water, the other in a glass of warm water and observe what happens after two to four minutes. The stick in the cold water should get dimmer and the stick in the warm water should get brighter. The warm water causes the glow stick to release more energy more quickly.
Talking to Fireflies
- This experiment allows you to learn about firefly communication.
  
  Look in the grass and bushes at night to find a female firefly (the ones that flash but don't fly). Watch the female firefly for several minutes, recording the pattern and rate at which she flashes, counting the how many seconds the flashes last and the number of seconds between flashes. Try to imitate the female's code with a small flashlight. Do this by pointing the flashlight at the grass and clicking it on and off in the same pattern, repeating it several times.
  
  If you are lucky a male firefly will think you are talking to him and respond by flashing back and flying closer.
Firefly Temperature
- This experiment allows you to explore the effect of temperature on fireflies themselves.
  
  Catch several fireflies and gently place them in a clear glass jar with a lid with holes in it. Watch the fireflies in the jar, recording the number of flashes they make in a given period (a minute, or 30 seconds). Write down this number and the temperature of the air.
  
  Change the temperature of the jar by putting the fireflies in the jar in a pot of lukewarm (warmer than the air) water. Use a thermometer to find the temperature of the air, if a thermometer will fit in the jar. Once the air in the jar has warmed, count the number of flashes in a given time period. Try this again by putting the jar in cold water.
  
  Note how the fireflies respond to the warmer or cooler air. Don't get water in the jar or make the water too warm or cold. Release the fireflies when you are done observing.

Insects & Science