[NatureNS] Fireflies

Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:55:07 -0400
From: "Paul S. Boyer" <psboyer@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Mary,

It is possible that you have two different species, because the =20
various species have different flashing- and flying signals.  Some =20
glow while flying upwards, and some just blink.

The females, which look partially developed and somewhat grub-like, =20
lie in the grass giving off faint glow, to signal the males of their =20
presence.  There is also a species of female who sends false signals =20
to attract males of other species, and then grabs and devours them =20
when they land.  And there is even more!

Some years ago, I was trying to photograph lightning bugs, and saw =20
what appeared to be such a glowing female, and then noticed a male's =20
soft light as he descended to meet her.  I was eager to record the =20
courtship, and threw myself on the ground, frantically adjusting =20
camera and flash in order to catch the moment.  I focused so quickly =20
that I did not really take time to watch what was going on.

When my film was developed, I was amazed to find, instead of =20
courtship, simple predation =97 but in this case a large-species male =20=

was chewing up a male of a smaller species.  Somewhere I have the =20
picture.  I have never read of male lightning bugs luring other males, =20=

but this is apparently what I have recorded, on film somewhere.

=97 Paul


On Jul 15, 2008, at 8:12 AM, Mary Macaulay wrote:

> We have lovely fireflies up at our fen at Angevine Lake Cumberland =20
> County.  the first ones that come out (they emerged about a month =20
> ago) were flying and flashing very high up in the trees.  About two =20=

> weeks ago another lot emerged floating about at ground level and =20
> slighly above.
> M
>
>
>
> From: roland.mccormick@ns.sympatico.ca
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Fireflies
> Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:14:01 -0300
>
>
> Fireflies?
>       Sixty years ago in Bear River we had hundreds, if not =20
> thousands of them on the marshes at the head of the tide. Those same =20=

> marshes were full of peepers, and you could hear them from far away. =20=

> I have often wished I could go back to that country early in the =20
> spring and see if any where still there - I doubt they would be that =20=

> plentiful now.
>
> Roland.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christopher Majka
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 4:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Fireflies
>
> Hi John,
>
> On 13-Jul-08, at 1:46 PM, John Sollows wrote:
>
> When I was but a youngster (let's say, up till about 1970) fireflies =20=

> in the summer were commonplace, here in the Yarmouth area.  It has =20
> been years since I have seen one.
>
> Well, one was flashing in the grass about ten days ago here on the =20
> Wyman Road, and I have heard another report from a youngster who was =20=

> wondering what he had seen.
>
> This summer is foggier than many in recent years; I am calling it a =20=

> "'60's summer."
>
> Hmm ... I wonder if our fireflies like high humidity.
>
> In my experience fireflies do like humid conditions. Many species =20
> live near cattail marshes or in low wet pastures. In Nova Scotia we =20=

> have three species in the genus Pyractomena that specialize in =20
> feeding on snails, and three species in the genus Photinus, that =20
> specialize in feeding on earthworms. I would suppose that moist =20
> conditions favour both snails and earthworms, and hence of these =20
> firefly larvae that feed on them.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Chris
>
> Christopher Majka
> Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  =20
> B3H 3A6
> c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca
>
>
>
>


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Mary,<div><br></div><div>It is =
possible that you have two different species, because the various =
species have different flashing- and flying signals. &nbsp;Some glow =
while flying upwards, and some just blink.</div><div><br></div><div>The =
females, which look partially developed and somewhat grub-like, lie in =
the grass giving off faint glow, to signal the males of their presence. =
&nbsp;There is also a species of female who sends false signals to =
attract males of other species, and then grabs and devours them when =
they land. &nbsp;And there is even more!</div><div><br></div><div>Some =
years ago, I was trying to photograph lightning bugs, and saw what =
appeared to be such a glowing female, and then noticed a male's soft =
light as he descended to meet her. &nbsp;I was eager to record the =
courtship, and threw myself on the ground, frantically adjusting camera =
and flash in order to catch the moment. &nbsp;I focused so quickly that =
I did not really take time to watch what was going =
on.</div><div><br></div><div>When my film was developed, I was amazed to =
find, instead of courtship, simple predation =97 but in this case a =
large-species male was chewing up a male of a smaller species. =
&nbsp;Somewhere I have the picture. &nbsp;I have never read of male =
lightning bugs luring other males, but this is apparently what I have =
recorded, on film somewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>=97 =
Paul</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Jul 15, 2008, at 8:12 AM, =
Mary Macaulay wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; =
font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; =
line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; =
text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div class=3D"hmmessage" =
style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; ">We have lovely =
fireflies up at our fen at Angevine Lake Cumberland County.&nbsp; the =
first ones that come out (they emerged about a month ago) were flying =
and flashing very high up in the trees.&nbsp; About two weeks ago =
another lot emerged floating about at ground level and slighly =
above.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><br>M<br><br><br><hr><br>From=
:<sp