Photo by Kevin Adams
Photo by Bruce Marlin
Over the past couple of decades, scientists and average
citizens alike have noticed the firefly population isn’t as robust
as it once seemed. The problem becomes how to quantify this
anecdotal evidence with fact based research.
There is no existing baseline for comparing today’s
population of fireflies with what existed 20 or 30 years ago.
There are no foolproof methods for counting these creatures
who briefly show themselves and then disappear within
seconds, only to reappear several feet away from where they
were previously spotted. Objects that move, under the cover
of night no less, are difficult, if not impossible, to count. But
work has been done at some very prestigious institutions,
including the Museum of Science in Boston, www.mos.
org/fireflywatch/, Clemson
University, www.clemson.
edu/public/rec/baruch/
firefly_project/, and Tufts
University, www.enews.tufts.
edu/archives/2009/. These
efforts attempt to quantify
the changes in the firefly
population, and while firm,
provable conclusions are not
yet available, scientists who
study fireflies believe several
factors are putting stress on
their environment.
Urban sprawl negatively impacts fireflies. The gradual
reduction in their habitats undoubtedly affects their numbers.
Every time an empty expanse of field or wetlands is developed
into a home or a subdivision, fireflies lose space. They are
assumed to be home bodies; they don’t stray far from their
place of birth. They are not particularly strong fliers, and
ultimately they don’t live long enough, even under natural
SUMMER/FALL 2016 • VOLUME 36
circumstances, to change their locale when threatened.
Thomas Edison was no friend of fireflies. The invention
of the light bulb has caused fireflies much distress. When
the night is punctuated by man-made light, fireflies find it
hard to attract a mate. They need darkness to stand out, and
just as newly hatched turtles are believed to be affected by
lights coming from homes near the beach, firefly habitats are
affected by lights penetrating the darkness.
The pe sticides and fertilizers we spread on our lawns to
kill grubs and other undesirable pests also kill firefly larvae.
In addition, these same chemicals affect the small insects and
snails that fireflies eat, making it harder for the firefly to find
food if they do survive the initial poison.
There is not yet a sufficient
body of evidence to state with
scientific certainty whether
fireflies are disappearing en
masse or just near where large
numbers of people live. It may
take another decade or more to
draw any provable conclusions,
but a recent survey of my own
friends and family indicates
that not a single person claims
to see more fireflies today than
they did in their youth. Those
of us who ran around our suburban yards a half century ago
to catch the charming critters would be hard-pressed to find
them today, unless we’re enjoying a star lit evening away from
civilization.
Special thanks to Dr. Alex Chow, Associate Professor
of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson
University and Mr. Don Salvatore, a science educator at the
Museum of Science in Boston. NK
61