Information on Lightning Bugs

Description

• The winged adult is just over half an inch long and has a longish body with a protective coat called a pronotum covering the back and head region. The end of the male's abdomen is greenish-yellow in hue and larger than that of the female's.

Life cycle

• Lightning bugs mate in the springtime and then the female will lay her eggs on the ground or even below it. In three to four weeks these eggs will hatch into larvae which will then proceed to eat until summer is over.

Light uses

• The light of the firefly is somehow related to mating but scientists do not know what significance it plays in the process. Predators find lightning bugs not at all tasty and the light may allow a potential predator to recognize the insect as a meal to avoid.

Summer fun

• Lightning bugs are caught by children in the summer time as they fly close to the ground blinking off and on to give away their location. Children will put the bugs into a glass jar and watch them blink their lights.

Benefits

• The larvae of lightning bugs will subsist on the larvae of other insects, as well as slugs and snails. The chemicals that allow them to produce light have been studied as potential benefits in the fight against disease like cystic fibrosis and cancer.