Glowing Talk by Susan J. Tweit drift through the air, others flicking on and off from the ground. These A glowworm on tree bark “aliens” are fireflies searching for mates. We watch, fascinated, as they On warm summer nights, our 1 talk in flashing code. backyard looks as though it’s been invaded by creatures from outer Fireflies are not flies, nor do they 2 space. Tiny, glowing lights appear at dusk, some blinking quickly as they burn. They are beetles, and their light comes from special light-producing organs at the end of their bodies. Their family name, Lampyridae, means “shining tail” in Greek. If you live in the eastern or midwestern United States, you probably have fireflies, also called lightning bugs, in your neighborhood. They live on the edges of woods and in grassy places all the way from Florida to southern Canada, and west to the edge of the Great Plains. Only a few kinds of fireflies live in the dry, mountainous western states, and they’re usually found in moist places—in woods along streams or lakes, or near marshes. depths. Other insects can shine or Four Stages flash. But only fireflies have a Fireflies, like butterflies, develop in four distinct whole light vocabulary. stages: eggs, which can take about a month to hatch; larvae—pale, soft-bodied, wormlike creatures, which Firefly larvae are also called spend about two years eating and growing; pupae, a glowworms. Even before they quiet stage where firefly bodies change from larvae to hatch, they shine inside the eggs. adults; and adults—dark, hard-shelled beetles, which This glow is a dual-purpose warning signal. It tells would- live only to mate. Through all these stages, from egg to adult, fireflies “talk” with light. Other forms of life can glow, like some bacteria and certain kinds of mushrooms and molds. And some sponges, corals, Adult firefly on leaves clams, snails, squid, and fish may light up dark ocean be predators that the larva tastes bad, and it warns other larvae that predators are nearby. The tiny larva (the size of a rice grain) is toothless and wingless, but not
Glowing Talk by Susan J. Tweit A glowworm on tree bark On warm summer nights, our 1 backyard looks as though it’s been invaded by creatures from outer space. Tiny, glowing lights appear at dusk, some blinking quickly as they drift through the air, others flicking on and off from the ground. These “aliens” are fireflies searching for mates. We watch, fascinated, as they talk in flashing code. Fireflies are not flies, nor do they 2 burn. They are beetles, and their light comes from special light-producing organs at the end of their bodies. Their family name, Lampyridae, means “shining tail” in Greek. If you live in the eastern or midwestern United States, you probably have fireflies, also called lightning bugs, in your neighborhood. They live on the edges of woods and in grassy places all the way from Florida to southern Canada, and west to the edge of the Great Plains. Only a few kinds of fireflies live in the dry, mountainous western states, and they’re usually found in moist places—in woods along streams or lakes, or near marshes. Four Stages Fireflies, like butterflies, develop in four distinct stages: eggs, which can take about a month to hatch; larvae—pale, soft-bodied, wormlike creatures, which spend about two years eating and growing; pupae, a quiet stage where firefly bodies change from larvae to adults; and adults—dark, hard-shelled beetles, which live only to mate. Through all these stages, from egg to adult, fireflies “talk” with light. Other forms of life can glow, like some bacteria and certain kinds of mushrooms and molds. And some sponges, corals, clams, snails, squid, and fish may light up dark ocean depths. Other insects can shine or flash. But only fireflies have a whole light vocabulary. Firefly larvae are also called glowworms. Even before they hatch, they shine inside the eggs. This glow is a dual-purpose warning signal. It tells would- Adult firefly on leaves be predators that the larva tastes bad, and it warns other larvae that predators are nearby. The tiny larva (the size of a rice grain) is toothless and wingless, but not
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