Fireflies and lightning bugs are one and the same. Traditionally, they were called fireflies in the West and northern regions of the country, and referred to as lightning bugs in the Midwest, South, and mid-Atlantic states. Today, the term “firefly” is most commonly used by entomologists who study these insects. NCLT refers to them as fireflies, as well.

It is interesting to note that fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are neither flies nor bugs. They are soft-bodied beetles in the Lampyridae family. They possess an amazing ability to produce light through a chemical reaction known as bioluminescence.

Lifestages of Fireflies

Fireflies spend a significant portion of their lifecycle as larvae living near or under the ground. In larval form, they are voracious carnivores who prey on snails, slugs, and other insect larvae. As adults, fireflies have a varied diet. Some are vegetarians who eat pollen and nectar. The female in the genus Photuris, often referred to as a ‘femme fatale’, is a cannibal who lures and eats the males of other genera. Most adult fireflies, however, do not eat at all. They are too busy looking for mates and laying eggs to ensure that a new generation will follow.

Each firefly genus has a distinctive flashing pattern used to attract mates. The males signal from the treetops, while the females flash from their perches in grass and low vegetation. Fireflies require dark skies for their courtship rituals and are highly sensitive to light pollution from streetlights, spotlights, and landscape lighting.

While fireflies may spend one to two years as larvae, the adults only live a few weeks. The peak time to view them in New Canaan is late June through mid-July. They are most active on hot nights when there is little moonlight to interfere with their signals. Their amazing light shows can be seen at NCLT’s Firefly Sanctuary on Sleepy Hollow (reservations for this season, 6/25-7/13 are sold out), the Colhoun Preserve on Davenport Ridge Road, and at Waveny Park’s newly designated firefly meadow located to the south of the main house.

Fireflies are truly unique, and watching them sparkle on hot summer nights is pure magic.

NCLT Firefly Sanctuary (Photographer: Connor deMayo)