Fire Flies and Glow Worms

[Introductory music and chimes]

Hello, this is Diane Alston,

extension entomologist with Utah State
University.

The topic for today are fireflies.

Fireflies are very interesting insects.

Most people know them as lightning bugs,

but they're actually neither flies
nor bugs.

They're truly beetles.

Fireflies are in the beetle family
lampyridae,

and there are approximately 200 species
of fireflies in North America.

Although Utah doesn't have the large,
flashy fireflies like in the Midwest

and Eastern United States,
it does have several species of fireflies,

and they can still be quite interesting
and fun to watch.

Currently, fireflies are a hot topic
because of the loss of wetlands in Utah,

as urbanization takes over and development
drains wet areas—

essential to fireflies' biology.

They begin as eggs in damp soil
and once they hatch,

the carnivorous larvae are very ravenous.

The larvae are nocturnal,
just like the adults,

so most people never see them.

They appear to be scaly
or reptilian in appearance.

They have mouthparts that are very useful
for eating slugs, snails,

and other soil dwelling critters,
such as cutworm larvae or beetle larvae.

Even the larvae of some species can glow,
and these are known as glow worms.

Because they are effective natural enemies
of other insects and arthropods,

fireflies are beneficial to agriculture
and the home garden.

Fireflies are best known
for their twinkly bioluminescence.

The flashes of light are considered

cold light because they produce
no heat as a byproduct.

The rhythm of flashing varies
with the species,

and may serve to distinguish
males and females from one another.

Females of some firefly species
appear to choose male mates

based on flash frequency
and pattern characteristics.

Fireflies are beneficial insects
which help control

pests in our fields and gardens.

OFFSCREEN RADIO HOST :
The Green Thumb

is a production of Utah Public Radio.

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and past episodes on our website, upr.org.