Oh so it’s a chemical reaction

_Elsa_

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 chemically very similar to the toxins toads exude on their skins, and while they are toxic in the right doses, they are also extremely distasteful.

 

Birds and other predators quickly learn to avoid fireflies. I’ve watched a toad on my back porch eat a firefly and promptly spit it back out; the insect walked away, gooey but apparently unharmed. A colleague of mine once put a firefly in his mouth – and his mouth went numb for an hour!

Many other insects visually mimic fireflies in order to reap the benefit of looking like something unpleasant to eat and poisonous. Fireflies appear to produce other defensive chemicals, too, some of which may contribute to their distinctive smell.

Many Photuris fireflies can’t manufacture these defensive chemicals. So the females of these big, long-legged lightning bugs do something surprising: Once they’ve mated, they start mimicking the flashes of female Photinus and then eat the males that respond. These femme fatales go on to use the lucibufagins they acquire from ingesting their severely disappointed prey to protect themselves and their eggs from predators. They quickly transfer the chemicals to their blood, and spontaneously bleed if a predator grabs them.

No place like home - Most fireflies are habitat specialists, using woodlands, meadows and marshes. They rely on that habitat remaining undisturbed for the year or more it takes them to complete their life cycles. These insects spend most of their lives as larvae preying on earthworms and other animals in the soil or leaf litter – most adults don’t feed at all. If that habitat is disrupted during their youth, populations can be extinguished. 

Adding to this vulnerability is the fact that the females of many species – like the famous blue ghosts of the southern Appalachians and elsewhere – are wingless and can’t disperse any further than they can walk. If a population of blue ghosts is destroyed by logging or other disruption, there will be no reestablishment. Habitat destruction is therefore one of the greatest threats to fireflies. Other hazards include light pollution from artificial lights and perhaps insecticide applications for mosquito control.

There is much yet to learn about fireflies. Entomologists like me have identified about 170 or so species in North America, but it is clear that many more species occur here. Pay attention to the fireflies in your neighborhood; observe their flash patterns and behavior. Perhaps you’ll discover one of those new species.’ (Source)

Tiffi is fascinated with these facts about lightning bugs. She checks her phone for text messages. None! The players don’t need her help. Just then her phone rings and it’s Yeti calling.

“Hi Yeti, what’s up?” asks Tiffi. “Have you ever heard of lightning bugs? I was outside last night when I saw a bunch of little flashing lights. They were coming from these little flying bugs. My father told me that they are called lightning bugs. So I’ve been on Google reading more about them. You can usually see them in the summer. Hey, I have an idea! How about we all get together to find them? I’ll make some phone calls to see who would be interested. I’ll get back to you.”

“There she goes again, our little energetic Tiffi!” thinks Yeti.

Let’s continue - Where do lightning bugs go during the day?

Start at the beginning – Tiffi learns all about lightning bugs