Comments on: #1608 – Glowing (8 Comments)

By: Awesome

Awesome — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 22:16:34 +0000

The glow is actually a mating pheromone thing. If the jar is sealed with only one inside, it can’t smell the other fireflies, so it doesn’t glow.

By: kingklash

kingklash — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 19:45:25 +0000

I usually see a few here by this time of year, but this Summer, not a one. They probably took a cue from us Humans, and found a nice place with good AC, and are just kicked back out of the heat.

By: kingklash

kingklash — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 19:42:54 +0000

Go to TV Tropes, and look up “Aluminum Christmas Trees” for things that exist, but for one reason or other, not many think exist. Fireflies/Lightning Bugs are mentioned as some thought was made up for movies/TV, then were shocked to see them for real. I’ve had visitors to Oklahoma come in where I work, and having just discovered the ScissorTail Flycatcher, and say “I thought they were just made up by artists in paintings, or for the State Quarter!”

By: Yoshord

Yoshord — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:32:58 +0000

Whenever I managed to get a firefly into a jar, it would stop glowing. I’ve never actually seen a firefly glow while in a jar – which if it does happen means that I must only be finding the clautrophobic ones.

By: R. E. Hunter

R. E. Hunter — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:19:49 +0000

There were none where I grew up, and none where I live now, but where I lived for years on the east coast of Canada there were swarms of them on summer evenings. I don’t know what their range or habitat is.

I once had one splatter on my windshield while driving on the highway at night. The blob of green goo glowed for hours. It was fascinating.

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:57:22 +0000

I’m from the US, and I never saw them growing up either. I thought pretty much the same as you do, until I went to grad school (in the same state I grew up in) and I saw tons of them.

By: RoguesAndGhosts

RoguesAndGhosts — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:13:56 +0000

I didn’t know fireflies even existed in Sweden until recently (read: 5 minutes ago). And when I was a kid, I thought that fireflies either didn’t exist at all, or that they didn’t really glow, and that glowing fireflies was just something of an urban legend.

Fireflies are supposed to be common where I live, but then why have I never seen a single one in my life?!

By: pbarnrob

pbarnrob — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 06:03:53 +0000

And I still remember; when you’re ready to go to sleep and ‘lights out’, don’t just put the jar in a drawer.
In the morning, Yuucckkk!