One of the cool things about stepping out on the porch of the Aerie just after dark in the late spring/early summer is the number of lightning bugs or fireflies that can be seen over the lawn and in the tall weeds growing along its edges. Dozens and dozens of them are blinking their yellow-green tails on and off in hopes of attracting another firefly. Most are looking to mate. Some are looking to eat.
eNature lists two fireflies and both can be found in Pennsylvania. They are the Pennsylvania Firefly and the Pyralis Firefly. Its the former (the Pennsylvania Firefly) that will eat its own kind if the mood strikes it. The Pyralis adult doesn't eat at all. Interestingly, it's only the mated females that become cannibalistic. Guess they never heard of divorce lawyers!
When I was much, much younger, I and my cousins would run about and collect as many fireflies as we could. Forty or fifty of the little bugs make a nice--if somewhat flickering and short lived--night light. We would also take one of the bugs and squish its tail across the back of our hands just to see the glow of the phosphorescent chemicals appear and slowly fade. (Yeah, we were a blood thirsty bunch!)
No comments:
Post a Comment