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[Introductory music and chimes]
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Hello, this is Diane Alston,
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extension entomologist with Utah State
University.
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The topic for today are fireflies.
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Fireflies are very interesting insects.
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Most people know them as lightning bugs,
but they're actually neither flies
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nor bugs. They're truly beetles.
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Fireflies are in the beetle family
lampyridae,
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and there are approximately 200 species
of fireflies in North America.
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Although Utah doesn't have the large,
flashy fireflies like in the Midwest
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and eastern United States,
it does have several species of fireflies,
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and they can still be quite interesting
and fun to watch.
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Currently, fireflies are a hot topic
because of the loss of wetlands in Utah,
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as urbanization takes over and development
drains wet areas -
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essential to fireflies' biology.
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They begin as eggs in damp soil
and once they hatch,
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the carnivorous larvae are very ravenous.
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The larvae are nocturnal, just like
the adults, so most people never see them.
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They appear to be scaly
or reptilian in appearance.
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They have mouthparts that are very useful
for eating slugs, snails,
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and other soil dwelling critters,
such as cutworm larvae or beetle larvae.
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Even the larvae of some species can glow,
and these are known as glow worms.
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Because they are effective natural enemies
of other insects and arthropods,
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fireflies are beneficial to agriculture
and the home garden.
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Fireflies are best known
for their twinkly bioluminescence.
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The flashes of light are considered
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cold light because they produce
no heat as a byproduct.
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The rhythm of flashing varies
with the species, and may
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serve to distinguish males and females
from one another.
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Females of some firefly species
appear to choose male mates
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based on flash
frequency and pattern characteristics.
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Fireflies are beneficial insects
which help control
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pests in our fields and gardens.
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The Green Thumb is a production
of Utah Public Radio.
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You can listen to this
and past episodes on our website, upr.org.
