Do you know that not all fireflies glow, just some species that can glow-up?
Do you remember those warm summer holidays that we spend loitering in our grandparents’ home? Running around the whole day and then watching the mesmerizing glow of fireflies and how futile were our attempts to catch them.We often wonder how can a mere creature be so wonderful and mysterious. Well, today, we are here to solve one of the biggest mysteries of our childhood, fireflies. So, here are some of the facts about the mysterious and enchanting fireflies.
Each of the fireflies has their own unique flash pattern.
Interestingly, each of the fireflies has their own set of unique flashing pattern. The American Museum of Natural History explains that some of the firefly’s species flash their light in a timed pattern, some of them just flash their glow once, some shake their stomachs side to side, which looks as if they are twinkling, and some just fly in a specific J-shaped pattern.
Some of the fireflies even sync up their light flashes.
One of the rare and unique phenomena of fireflies flashing their light in unison is known as simultaneous bioluminescence. There are only two places in the world where you could witness the incredibly unique spectacle. These places are many regions in Southeast Asia, and Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountain, National Park. To witness such a unique lightshow by nature, people enter a lottery to win entry to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Fireflies can also be poisonous.
Yes, these innocent and harmless looking insects can also be poisonous. It is believed that whenever they are under attack by some predators, fireflies go into what is known as reflex bleeding. They start bleeding with a special chemical in their blood which is poisonous for most vertebrates, even some of the birds too.
In Europe, the female firefly is flightless.
In much of Europe, the female fireflies don’t fly, contrary to what we all commonly believe. They are, instead, a worm that does not flash rather glows.
Lastly, fireflies are not really a fly; they are a type of beetle.
Since it flies and is also commonly known as fly, we consider firefly to be from the family of flies. But if you observe closely, you would find out that fireflies are actually a type of beetle. All fireflies have forewings that are hardened, much like a beetle that is used for balance during a fight.
So, which one of these facts surprised you the most?
