Ever seen little points of light buzzing around outside on
summer nights? Those lights - fireflies – are beetles that
create light through a chemical reaction. By controlling the
reaction, fireflies can turn on and off their lights. They flash
light to communicate and find a mate. Fireflies may be
disappearing from some areas where they have been found in the
past, so researchers are looking to citizen scientists for help
understanding more about what is affecting fireflies. Changes in
the way we use land might be taking a toll on fireflies. For
example, as natural landscapes are turned into lawns,
fertilizers, pesticides and mowers may jeopardize fireflies,
which spend daytime hours on the ground. Fireflies might also be
affected by outdoor lights such as streetlights and the amount
of water in the environment. The Firefly Watch project gets the
public involved collecting data about where fireflies are found.
If you live east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and
have ten minutes a week to look for