Adult fireflies have reappeared in the dusk sky of mid Missouri this week. Members of the beetle family, over 2000 species inhabit our planet, 10% of which live in North America. During their brief lifespan (a few weeks to a couple of months), these fireflies attract mates with their unique pattern and color of flash; while most will enjoy a limited diet of small insects and nectar, some species are canni-balistic and will use their flash to attract meals.
Female fireflies lay their eggs in loose, moist soil where they will hatch into larvae in a week or two. Unlike the adults, firefly larvae are voracious predators, feeding on worms, slugs and snails. Come autumn, the larvae burrow into the soil or retreat beneath the leaf litter to spend the winter; if not consumed by moles, shrews or birds, they will emerge in the spring and, within a few weeks, molt to the adult form.
A welcome sign of summer and a joy for many children, fireflies produce their "lightning bug" flash via the process of biolumi-nescence, a chemical reaction that conserves more than 95% of its energy; only 2% of the flash is lost as heat. Fireflies are found throughout tropical and humid temperate regions of the globe, preferring moist, wooded areas; the suburbs of the eastern U.S. offer prime habitat.
