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Let’s go fly a kite … Up to the highest height!
The rest of them show up and it doesn’t take them long to get their kites up in the air. “Hey Rancid, are you having fun?” asks Elsa. Rancid is bouncing here and there as he watches his kite go higher. He is really enjoying this. Suddenly Rachel and Rancid get their kites tangled so they have to bring them down. They get…
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Tiffi learns all about lightning bugs
Tiffi is really enjoying the summer. She is so happy that she got to spend some time with Jenny. She really surprised everyone when she showed up at the pool party with Yeti. She can’t believe how much fun Yeti had and he just loved those cannonball drives into the pool. Now here it is a couple of weeks later and Jenny has…
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What are lightning bugs?
Now Tiffi’s curiosity gets to her and she has to learn more about these cute little bugs. ‘Fireflies and lightning bugs are the same insect and are actually beetles. These insects love moisture and spring to life when rainfall is plentiful. They feed mostly on snail, slugs and insect larvae. Fireflies are fun to watch…
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How fireflies glow and what signals they’re sending
Wow! This is interesting stuff! Tiffi continues with her search. ‘Fireflies produce light in special organs in their abdomens by combining a chemical called luciferin, enzymes called luciferases, oxygen and the fuel for cellular work, ATP. Entomologists think they control their flashing by regulating how much oxygen goes…
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Oh so it’s a chemical reaction
Tiffi is so surprised to learn so much about this little bug as she continues to read this article. ‘Stinky chemical defenses - Many fireflies protect themselves from predators with chemicals called lucibufagins. These are molecules the insects synthesize from other chemicals they eat in their diet. Lucibufagins are…
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Where do lightning bugs go during the day?
Tiffi makes some phone calls but can’t reach all of them so she leaves phone messages. Time to get back to the googling. ‘Fireflies are so easy to spot during the night when their lights glow bright. But where do they go when the Sun rises? Do they burrow underground to wait for the night to return? Maybe they bathe in the…
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Where do they go during the winter?
‘In winter, the lightning bugs wear disguises. Chances are you can find a few if you know what to look for and root around in the likely places. These are not adult insects with gauzy wings for flying in the air. They may be hungry larvae or sleeping chrysalises. Their chance to become flashing fireflies will come later…
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The 4 Stages of the Firefly Life Cycle
‘Egg (Embryonic Stage) - The firefly life cycle begins with an egg. In midsummer, mated females will deposit about 100 spherical eggs, singly or in clusters, in the soil or near the soil surface. Fireflies prefer moist soils and will often choose to place their eggs under mulch or leaf litter, where the soil is less likely…
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Are Fireflies Disappearing?
‘You may have noticed you haven't seen as many fireflies on these summer nights as you used to. Are they disappearing? Here's what's going on and what you can do to help them make a comeback. Many of us have great memories of watching and catching fireflies on warm summer nights. Remember sitting out on the patio and…
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Firefly vs. Lightning Bug: Is There a Difference Between the Two?
Yeti makes some phone calls but now he’s curious to know what these lightning bugs are all about so he does some googling. ‘When you see a flashing insect in your backyard, do you call it a firefly or a lightning bug? And have you ever wondered if those names refer to two different insects? Despite their unique names,…
