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Thread: Synchronous fireflies

  1. #16
    We turn off all our outdoor lighting and keep inside lights low during the 3-4 week season.

    6-8 synced flashes then they all go black - I think the darkness is the coolest part.

  2. #17
    About 40 yrs ago, a group of us that shared a large old farm (called a "commune") spent our evenings on the large front porch, making music and rolling joints. We watched the lightning bugs come up from the grass as it grew dark. Eventually, someone would bring up the notion of them synchronizing, so we would watch and detect small areas that appeared to be synching. But not really, as we knew better, despite the adulterants.

    After a few nights of this, one of the porch setters put down his guitar, passed the bong, and announced he figured it out. The fireflies were watching us
    as we played and sang and laughed.

    They were watching, waiting, hoping we would sync for them.

    And, occasionally we did.
    I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.
    - Kurt Vonnegut

  3. #18
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    I've sometimes wondered if the use of endophytes in some lawn tall fescue grasses has also led to the decline of lightning bugs. As I understand it, the endophytes are a fungus that lives between the cells of the grass and makes the grass more stress tolerant from heat, drought, and insects (i.e. lightning bugs). The lightning bugs I see here are mostly in the woods, not the grass lawn.

    I've not used insecticide on the lawn, but it's tempting regarding ticks

  4. #19
    Never thought much about them. We have tons in Southeastern PA. I figured one variety. I am at my cottage On the Delaware Bay and last night I saw a bunch in the marsh. Definitely different than what I see in PA. Googled and found out NJ has 19 varieties. Funny this post came up today!

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Citerone View Post
    Never thought much about them. We have tons in Southeastern PA. I figured one variety. I am at my cottage On the Delaware Bay and last night I saw a bunch in the marsh. Definitely different than what I see in PA. Googled and found out NJ has 19 varieties. Funny this post came up today!
    I bought this book, perhaps you would find it interesting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0820348724

    I took data on the flash rates of those here (one flash every 0.75 seconds) and caught two to examine. From the book I determined the synchronized fireflies here are Photuris Frontalis, otherwise known as Snappy Single Sync. Communication with the book author confirmed this. She encouraged me to check out the others on my farm - I've distinguished two other types but there are probably more.

    I grew up in Southwestern PA (south of Pittsburgh) and we had zillions of fireflies, but I never saw any with synchronized flashes like those here.

    JKJ

  6. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    I bought this book, perhaps you would find it interesting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0820348724

    I took data on the flash rates of those here (one flash every 0.75 seconds) and caught two to examine. From the book I determined the synchronized fireflies here are Photuris Frontalis, otherwise known as Snappy Single Sync. Communication with the book author confirmed this. She encouraged me to check out the others on my farm - I've distinguished two other types but there are probably more.

    I grew up in Southwestern PA (south of Pittsburgh) and we had zillions of fireflies, but I never saw any with synchronized flashes like those here.

    JKJ
    Thanks John, I will look into the book. Never too old to learn. Here in Cumberland County NJ, where my cottage is on the Delaware Bay there is so much wildlife to see. Yesterday a turtle dug a nest in the sand and laid eggs right next to my cottage. Lots of insect here too, a lot of them bite unfortunately! July is Greenhead fly month. By first week of August the insects subside. In September the Monarchs migrate along my house toward Cape May. Sometimes we see several dozen on bushes around the house.

  7. #22
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    They say the crickets chirping rate is related to the temperature. it gets faster as it warms up. i wonder if the flash rate of fire flys could vary in a similar manner.
    Bil lD

    The simplest method is to count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 40. The sum usually approximates the temperature within a few degrees Fahrenheit.

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    They say the crickets chirping rate is related to the temperature. it gets faster as it warms up. i wonder if the flash rate of fire flys could vary in a similar manner.
    Bil lD
    In her book Lynn Faust indicates the temperature greatly affects the repeat interval of flash patterns, but since each species has a particular pattern so there can be huge differences in the flash and pattern rates at a given temperature. For example, all three of the species I watched flashed at different rates at the same temperature.

    She also discusses the "degree day" value, a way to predict when fireflies emerge based on "the accumulated amount of heat during that season", a method also used to predict when certain flowers bloom, when to plant crops, and things concerning pest control.

    JKJ

  9. #24
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    As an aside, firefly light has long been studied as an example of the conversion of chemical energy to light. The firefly contains an enzyme (called luciferase...catchy name!) and luciferin, the enzyme substrate. The reaction requires the energy unit known as ATP, and it turns out that this reaction is among the most sensitive ones for ATP. Chemical companies used to pay kids to catch fireflys so they could harvest these enzymes and sell kits to scientists to measure ATP in various reactions.....No idea how they synchronize their flashes though.... Interesting stuff!

  10. #25
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    I think that research led to the development of glow sticks

  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Soaper View Post
    I think that research led to the development of glow sticks
    Certainly inspired by! I found this interesting article: https://www.glowtopia.co.uk/news/history-of-glowsticks/

    JKJ

  12. #27
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    John, thanks for the clarification and link

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