C’mon Baby Light my (bio-luminescent) Fire!

Firefly On A Green Leaf

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There are over 2000 species of fireflies in the world; their range is from temperate zones to tropical. Fireflies are fond of marshes and wooded, moist places where their larvae will have an abundant source of food. This is a great place to locate fireflies at night. The light emitted by fireflies may be of several different colors depending upon specie. The color of their flashes can be green, yellow, even a pale red in some species and their visible light can range 510 to 670 nanometers wavelength.

Although not commonly called “glowworms” in the States, their juvenile form does ‘glow’ and throughout Eurasia, ‘glowworm’ generally does refer to firefly larvae.

Whole-body Close-Up

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Nearly all firefly species are nocturnal, -nighttime insects. But numerous types are diurnal, -daytime dwellers. Most of the diurnal types lack the luminescent ability, while some species that remain in semi-darkness can produce this bio-luminescence. The illumination ability is mostly reserved for those that are active at night.

Most fireflies are noxious tasting to predators, and some fireflies are actually toxic. For years there had been anecdotal tales about frogs and toads dying shortly after having eaten even single a firefly. A single firefly, for instance, contains enough poisonous lucibufagin chemical to kill a reptile pet, such as bearded dragons or an iguana. Tests have confirmed that this chemical is a power heart stimulant, causing essentially, a heart attack.

Bio-luminescence, At An Efficient Rate

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The bioluminescence of fireflies is a very efficient chemical process. Around 90% of the energy used is converted into visible light. The common household light bulb is terribly inefficient by comparison, as only 10% of the total energy consumed is actually emitted as visible light. The rest is wasted as heat emission. If we could learn the secret of chemiluminescence as efficient as fireflies to convert starches and sugars into visible usable light energy, maybe we could light entire cities with just a few truckloads of sugarcane or corn stalks and save ten of thousands of kilowatt hours in the process! Clean, waste-free energy from a renewable source!

The Nightlight of a Million Children

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As children we used to capture fireflies, or lightning bugs as we called them, and keep them in a jar in our bedroom overnight for our enjoyment. Their soft green flashing can be quite intense when several dozen or a hundred are containerized in a standard glass coffee jar (with air holes perforated in the lid!) The next morning though, we would release them. Tired, hungry and probably a bit weaker for their imprisonment, away they would fly. Hopefully, to enjoy the summer and maybe not be recaptured again that same evening!

Fireflies in some regions of the world, particularly Southeast Asia, often synchronize their light flashes when in large groups, causing entire fields or groves of trees to ‘blink’ harmoniously as if illuminated by overhead lightning! This ‘phase synchronization’ can be quite stunning to observe.

Theories as to why this occurs include social interaction, diet and even altitude of the bugs in question. This behavior even occurs rarely in fireflies in the United States, species of which this ‘phase synchronization’ is atypical behavior.

A Power Drink Called Firefly?

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There is even an energy & health drink called “Firefly”, -hopefully this stuff is not made from real fireflies! Made with real peach juice and flavanoid-packed Green tea, Firefly does not contain a single grain of sugar, claims the label. –Sounds good.

But does it glow at night, -that is what I want to know.