Fireflies in decline as natural habitats are destroyed

by Amy Judd | September 2, 2008 at 08:36 am

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The little blinking lights of fireflies are getting harder and harder to see lately.

Urban delvelopment, pollution and artificial lights are all causing the numbers of the tiny insects to decline at a rapid rate, and the days of sitting outside in the summertime, while watching fireflies dance around your head, are definitely numbered.

At a conference in the Thai city of Chiang Mai, 100 entomologists and biologists discussed the plight of the firefly, which – anecdotal evidence suggests – is disappearing from habitats as diverse as gardens in Tennessee and river-banks in southeast Asia.

In Bam Lomtuan, for instance, an hour outside Bangkok, the insects were once a tourist attraction, with thousands setting the banks of the Mae Klong River aglow with natural illumination.

Preecha Jiabyu, who used to row tourists out to see them, said that nowadays only the lights of hotels, restaurants and roads were visible. To see trees lit with the creatures so abundant in his youth, he had to row two miles out of town.

“The firefly populations have dropped 70 per cent in the past three years,” Mr Preecha told the Associated Press. “It’s sad. They were a symbol of our city.”

Researchers in Europe and the US believe urban sprawl and industrial pollution have destroyed the habitat of fireflies or glow worms. The spread of artificial lights may also be a factor, disrupting mating behaviour.

“It is clear they are declining,” said Stefan Ineichen, a delegate at last week’s symposium. Mr Ineichen, who studies fireflies in Switzerland, said: “When you talk to old people about fireflies, it is always the same. They saw so many when they were young, now they are lucky to see one.”

Evidence is of course difficult to gather, as they are tiny, constantly moving insects, and there are few programmes to monitor their behaviour. The adult lifespan of the fly is also only three weeks.

There are currently about 2,000 species of the fly, and new ones are being discovered, but the numebers are definitely down. Scientists are asking for volunteers to help monitor them when they are found in their own back yards.

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TER-OR

at 09:42 on September 2nd, 2008

This year was a pretty good year for fireflies in our little town outside Chicago. Probably it was the best year in the past five. Really, this only reminded me how bad things had become. The larvae are very good predators, which are vulnerable to insecticides of course. Think before you spray, people...

art farmer

at 10:51 on September 2nd, 2008

i have been watching 3 years. numbers were definitely significantly down this year, however, i expect it is due to either the cold spring and delay of hot weather, or the extreme drought we had last summer (midwest indiana).

WinPins

at 13:53 on September 2nd, 2008

See in North Georgia Mountains.

WinPins has contributed a photo to this story.

Norm Townsend

at 14:12 on September 2nd, 2008

I like looking at the Firefly light show on a warm summer evening at my home near Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Near the time I took these photo's, I called my daughter in New Jersey to see if she has Fireflies. She said that she has them at her house too.

I hope they are here to stay for the children and others to enjoy for a long time to come.

Norm Townsend

Norm Townsend has contributed a photo to this story.

jward199

at 16:30 on September 2nd, 2008

I found these fireflies on milkweed growing at the Emiquon Preserve, a wetland/prairie that The Nature Conservancy is restoring along the Illinois River after a century of growing nothing but corn. In this little corner of the world, there soon will be more habitat for creatures such as these.

jward199 has contributed a photo to this story.

jward199

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 16:10 on September 2nd, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. It calls attention to an overlooked problem with the decline of habitat.

oz_the_cat

at 16:27 on September 2nd, 2008

I grew up in Indianapolis as a child and fireflies were a part of summer. For a number of years we lived on the western side of the Puget Sound and my kids had never seen a firefly. But when we moved to Delaware, they were plentiful and seem to still be. Could be because we have mandatory wetlands here.

privatepigg

at 16:38 on September 2nd, 2008

Thanks for using my photo! Here is the actual link to my blog post.

privatepigg has contributed a photo to this story.

musicocaineipoh

at 19:00 on September 2nd, 2008

nature call

musicocaine has contributed a photo to this story.

Infinities End

at 19:28 on September 2nd, 2008

I have also noticed fewer fireflies this year. We don't have a problem with light pollution here. Well, not yet. On the other hand, deforestation is a huge problem as well as being in the second year of a terrible drought.

Infinities End has contributed a photo to this story.

mproopesh

at 23:03 on September 2nd, 2008

Good article on fireflies, I took this photo at from my garden on an early winter evening in the month of September at Kannur, Kerala, India.

Once seen in abundant numbers in the villages few years back, this dwindling population of firefly, is on a sharp decline with deforestation making way for urbanization.

Roopesh

mproopesh has contributed a photo to this story.

Ransomed-59

at 23:19 on September 2nd, 2008

I was asked to place this photo here. This little bugger is related to the Firefly - but is I believe a soldier beetle. I find them frequently on the cosmos in my garden. I will tell you that I haven't really thought about it, but I do see fewer and fewer fireflies.

As a child I always enjoyed them. They signaled the start of summer. When my cousin visited us in Ohio from LA, she was amazed at the lightening bugs — she had never seen them before.

If I figure out how to send another photo - I do have one of a firefly. Thanks for letting me share with you.

Ransomed-59 has contributed a photo to this story.

mproopesh

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:28 on September 2nd, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

marcch2

at 06:56 on September 7th, 2008

My photo here was taken in Grant Co. , WI in July. I recall fields full of them in the country as a child. Now, I witness a sparkling back yard, although most of the fields I recall have been paved over. I hope fireflies can adapt.

marcch2 has contributed a photo to this story.