Beautiful and mysterious fireflies can not only delight our eyes. These creatures can do even more serious things.

In the summer twilight, at the edge of the forest, by a country road or in a meadow, you can, if you're lucky, see a "living star" in the tall wet grass. Coming closer to take a good look at the mysterious "light bulb", you will most likely be disappointed to find a soft, worm-shaped body on a stem with a luminous end of a jointed abdomen.

Hmmm ... The spectacle is not at all romantic. Firefly, perhaps, is better to admire from afar. But what is this creature irresistibly beckoning us with its cool greenish glow?

FIRE PASSIONS

The common firefly - namely, it draws our attention to itself in most of the territory of European Russia - is a beetle from the lampiridae family. Unfortunately, its name is clearly outdated today - in suburban areas near big cities"live flashlight" has long been a rarity.

In the old days in Rus', this insect was known as the Ivanov (or Ivanovo) worm. A beetle that looks like a worm? Could it be? Maybe. After all, our hero is an underdeveloped creature in a sense. The greenish "light bulb" is a wingless, larval-like female. At the end of her unprotected abdomen there is a special luminous organ, with the help of which the bug calls the male.

"I'm here and I haven't mated with anyone yet" - that's what her light signal means. The one to whom this “sign of love” is addressed looks like an ordinary beetle. Head, wings, legs. Illumination does not suit him - he does not need it. His task is to find a free female and mate with her for procreation.

Perhaps our distant ancestors intuitively felt that the mysterious light of insects contained a love call. No wonder they associated the name of the beetle with Ivan Kupala - the ancient pagan holiday of the summer solstice.

It is celebrated on June 24 according to the old style (July 7 - according to the new one). It is during this period of the year that the firefly is easiest to find. Well, if he sits on a leaf of a fern, then from afar he can pass for the very wonderful flower that blooms on a fabulous Kupala night.

As already mentioned, Ivanov's worm is a representative of the family of luminous lampirid beetles, numbering about two thousand species. True, most insects that emit radiance prefer the tropics and subtropics. You can admire these exotic creatures without leaving Russia in Primorye on Black Sea coast Caucasus.

If you happened to walk along the Sochi or Adler embankments and alleys on a warm evening, you could not help but notice the small yellowish tracer lights that fill the summer twilight of the “Russian Riviera”. The "designer" of this impressive illumination is the Luciola mingrelica beetle (Luciola mingrelica), and both females and males contribute to the lighting design of the resort.

Unlike the unblinking glow of our northern firefly, the Southern sexual signaling system is akin to a Morse code of light. Cavaliers fly low above the ground and continuously emit search signals at regular intervals - flashes of light. If the groom is close to the narrowed woman sitting on the leaves of the bush, she answers him with her characteristic flash. Noticing this "sign of love", the male abruptly changes its flight course, approaches the female and begins to send courtship signals - shorter and more frequent flashes.

In countries South-East Asia fireflies live, able to coordinate the delivery of their "love calls" with the signals of nearby comrades. As a result, a striking picture emerges: in the air and in the crowns of trees, thousands of tiny living light bulbs begin to flash and go out simultaneously. It seems that an invisible conductor controls this magical light music.

Such an enchanting spectacle has long been gathering many enthusiastic fans in Japan. Every year in June-July in different cities of the country rising sun passes Hotaru Matsuri- Firefly Festival.

Usually in warm weather before the start of the mass flight of luminous bugs, people gather at dusk in the garden near some Buddhist or Shinto shrine. As a rule, the "beetle festival" is timed to coincide with the new moon - so that the "extraneous" light does not distract the audience from the fabulous performance of live lights. Many Japanese consider winged lanterns to be the souls of their dead ancestors.

Frame from the anime "Grave of the Fireflies"

BELIEVING ALGEBRA HARMONY...

There are no words, stars glowing underfoot, in the crowns of trees or loitering almost overhead in the warm night air. - the spectacle is truly magical. But this definition, far from science, cannot satisfy the scientist who seeks to know physical nature any phenomenon in the environment.

To reveal the secret of "his excellency" of the lampirid beetle - such a goal was set by the French physiologist of the 19th century, Raphael Dubois. To solve this problem, he separated the organs of luminescence from the abdomen of insects and rubbed them in a mortar, turning them into a luminous homogeneous gruel, then poured a little cold water. "Flashlight" shone in the mortar for a few more minutes, after which it went out.

When the scientist added boiling water to the gruel prepared in the same way, the flame went out instantly. Once a researcher combined the contents of a "cold" and a "hot" mortar for testing. To his amazement, the glow resumed! Dubois had only to explain from the point of view of chemistry such an unexpected effect.

After smashing his head hard, the physiologist came to the conclusion: the “living light bulb” is “turned on” by two different chemicals. The scientist named them luciferin and luciferase. In this case, the second substance somehow activates the first, causing it to glow.

In the "cold" mortar, the glow stopped, because the luciferin ran out, and in the "hot" - because under the action high temperature luciferase is destroyed. When the contents of both mortars were combined, luciferin and luciferase met again and "shone".

Further research confirmed the correctness of the French physiologist. Moreover, as it turned out, chemicals such as luciferin and luciferase are present in the luminous organs of all known species lampirid beetles living in different countries and even on different continents.

Having unraveled the phenomenon of the glow of insects, scientists eventually penetrated into another secret of the “illustrious persons”. How is synchronous light music born, which we talked about above? By studying the light organs of "fire" insects, the researchers found that nerve fibers connect them with the eyes of fireflies.

The work of the "live light bulb" directly depends on the signals that the insect's visual analyzer receives and processes; the latter, in turn, gives commands to the light organ. Of course, one beetle cannot cover the crown with a glance. big tree or clearing space. He sees the flashes of the kindred who are near him, and acts in unison with them.

Those are guided by their neighbors and so on. A kind of "intelligence network" arises, in which each small signalman is in his place and transmits light information along the chain, not knowing how many individuals are involved in the system.

WITH "HIS LORD" IN THE JUNGLE

Of course, people appreciate fireflies primarily for their beauty, mystery and romance. But in the same Japan, for example, in the old days these insects were collected in special wicker vessels. Nobles and wealthy geishas used them as elegant nightlights, and poor students were helped to cram at night by "live lanterns". By the way, 38 beetles give as much light as an average-sized wax candle.

"Asterisks on legs" as lighting fixtures have long been used by the indigenous people of Central and South America for ritual decoration of dwellings and themselves on holidays. The first European settlers in Brazil filled lamps near Catholic icons with beetles instead of oil. “Live lanterns” provided a particularly valuable service to those who traveled through the Amazon jungle.

To secure the night movement through the teeming with snakes and other poisonous creatures tropical forest, the Indians tied fireflies to their feet. Thanks to this “illumination”, the risk of accidentally stepping on dangerous inhabitant jungle has been greatly reduced.

Even the Amazonian thicket may seem like a well-traveled place to a modern extreme sports lover. Today, the only area where tourism is only making its first steps is space. But it turns out that fireflies are able to make a worthy contribution to its development.

IS THERE LIFE ON MARS - THE FIREFLY WILL TELL

Let us recall once again Raphael Dubois, through whose efforts the world in the 19th century learned about luciferin and luciferase - two chemicals, causing a "living" radiance. In the first half of the last century, his discovery was substantially supplemented.

It turned out that for the correct operation of the "bug bulb" a third component is needed, namely, adenosine triphosphoric acid, or ATP for short. This most important biological molecule was discovered in 1929, so the French physiologist was not even aware of her participation in his experiments.

In the movie "Avatar" not only insects and animals glow in the dark, but also plants

ATP is a kind of portable accumulator» in a living cell, whose task is to provide energy for all reactions of biochemical synthesis. Including interactions between luciferin and luciferase - after all, energy is also needed for light emission. First, thanks to adenosine triphosphoric acid, luciferin passes into a special "energy" form, and then luciferase turns on a reaction, as a result of which its "extra" energy is converted into a quantum of light.

Oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide and calcium are also involved in the glow reactions of lampirid beetles. That's how difficult it is in "live light bulbs"! But they have amazingly high efficiency. As a result of the conversion of the chemical energy of ATP into light, only two percent of the energy is wasted as heat, while a light bulb wastes 96 percent of the energy.

All this is good, you say, but what does space have to do with it? And here's what. The mentioned acid "can be made" only by living organisms, but absolutely everything - from viruses and bacteria to humans. Luciferin and luciferase are able to glow in the presence of ATP, which is synthesized by any living organism, not necessarily a firefly.

At the same time, these two substances, discovered by Dubois, artificially deprived of their constant companion, will not give a “light”. But if all three participants in the reaction come together again, the glow can resume.

It was on this idea that the project was developed, which was developed at the American Aerospace Agency (NASA) in the 60s of the last century. It was supposed to supply automatic space laboratories designed to study the surface of planets. solar system, special containers containing luciferin and luciferase. At the same time, they had to be completely cleared of ATP.

Having taken a soil sample on another planet, it was necessary, without wasting time, to combine a small amount of "cosmic" soil with terrestrial glow substrates. If on the surface celestial body At least microorganisms live, then their ATP will come into contact with luciferin, “charge” it, and then luciferase will “turn on” the glow reaction.

The resulting light signal is transmitted to Earth, and there people will immediately understand that there is life! Well, the absence of glow, alas, will mean that this island in the Universe is most likely lifeless. So far, apparently, a greenish “living light” has not blinked at us from any planet in the solar system. But research continues!



If you want to post this article on your website or blog, then this is only allowed if you have an active and indexed backlink to the source.

Anyone who has ever seen myriads of tiny lights dancing in a field or forest at night will not forget about this bewitching spectacle. Would you like to take a closer look at the mysterious lanterns that decorate the summer night? This firefly is an insect that belongs to the family of beetles, order Coleoptera, called Lampyridae in Latin.

Why do they glow?

Fireflies have their amazing ability to glow because they have special organs at the bottom of their abdomen, consisting of photogenic cells and reflectors below them, which are filled with uric acid crystals. Oxidative processes take place here, causing luminescence. Light can be different strength and duration, but always greenish or Insects use it both to protect themselves from predators, warning about their inedibility by glowing, and to attract representatives of the opposite sex.

Firefly - insect of the night

Several species of fireflies live in our latitudes. One of them - Ivanovo worms - nocturnal insects that spend the day in thick grass and fallen leaves, and with the onset of night they go hunting. These fireflies live in the forest, where they hunt spiders, snails and small insects. The female of the Ivanovo worm cannot fly and is completely brown-brown, only on the underside are three segments of the abdomen white. They are the ones that glow brightly. A firefly is an insect with which you can even read by moving a living flashlight along the lines. And the fireflies living in the Caucasus glow in flight. Those reddish sparks dancing in the thick darkness southern night, give it a special mystery and charm.

mating season

At the moment when it is time for mating, the male firefly, whose photo you saw in the article, goes in search of a sign from a female who wants to continue the race. And as soon as he finds one, he goes down to her. The fact is that different kinds fireflies emit light at different frequencies, and this is a guarantee that representatives of the same species will mate with each other. A firefly is an insect in which it is the female who chooses a partner. She defines it by the nature of the glow. The higher the frequency of its flicker, the brighter the light emanating from it, the more likely the male is to bewitch his partner. Male fireflies perform collective "serenades" to their ladies, simultaneously lighting and extinguishing their lanterns. Trees entwined with such "light music" shine brighter than shop windows in big cities. But there have been cases of fatal mating games. The female uses an inviting light sign in order to attract males of another species. When seduced fertilizers appear, she simply eats them.

procreation

From the eggs that the female laid after fertilization, large voracious black larvae with yellow spots appear. By the way, they also glow, like adults. By autumn, they hide in the bark of trees, where they remain for the whole winter. And the next spring, waking up, they feed for several weeks, then pupate, and after 1-2.5 weeks, new adult fireflies develop from them, capable of surprising us with their mysterious night glow.

The firefly insect is a large family of beetles with an amazing ability to emit light.

Despite the fact that insect fireflies do not bring practically any benefit to humans, the attitude towards these unusual insects has always been positive.

Watching the simultaneous flickering of many lights in the night forest, you can be transported for a while into the fairy tale of fireflies.

Habitat

The firefly beetle lives in the territory North America, Europe and Asia. It can be found in tropical and deciduous forests, in meadows, glades and swamps.

Appearance

Outwardly, the firefly insect looks very modest, even nondescript. The body is elongated and narrow, the head is very small, the antennae are short. The size of the insect firefly is small - on average from 1 to 2 centimeters. The body color is brown, dark gray or black.




In many species of beetles, differences between male and female are pronounced. Male firefly insects resemble cockroaches in appearance, can fly, but do not glow.

The female looks very similar to a larva or a worm, she does not have wings, so she leads a sedentary lifestyle. But the female knows how to glow, which attracts representatives of the opposite sex.

Why does it glow

The luminous swell organ of the insect firefly is located in the back of the abdomen. It is an accumulation of light cells - photocytes, through which multiple tracheae and nerves pass.

Each such cell contains the substance luciferin. During breathing, oxygen enters the luminous organ through the trachea, under the influence of which luciferin is oxidized, releasing energy in the form of light.

Due to the fact that nerve endings pass through the light cells, the firefly insect can independently regulate the intensity and mode of the glow. It can be a continuous glow, blinking, pulsing or flashes. Thus, bugs glowing in the dark resemble a New Year's garland.

Lifestyle

Fireflies are not collective insects, however, they often form large clusters. During the day, fireflies insects rest, sitting on the ground or on plant stalks, and at night they begin an active life.

Different types of fireflies differ in the nature of their diet. Harmless herbivorous insect fireflies feed on pollen and nectar.

Predatory individuals attack spiders, centipedes and snails. There are even species that at the adult stage do not feed at all, moreover, they do not have a mouth..

Lifespan

The female beetle lays its eggs on a bed of leaves. After some time, black-and-yellow larvae emerge from the eggs. They have an excellent appetite, in addition, the firefly insect glows when disturbed.



Beetle larvae overwinter in the bark of trees. In the spring they emerge from the shelter, feed intensively, then pupate. After 2 - 3 weeks, adult fireflies emerge from the cocoon.

  • Most bright light the fawn beetle lives in the American tropics.
  • In length, it reaches 4 - 5 centimeters, and not only the abdomen, but also the chest glows in it.
  • In terms of the brightness of the emitted light, this bug is 150 times superior to its European relative, the common firefly.
  • Fireflies were used by the inhabitants of tropical villages as lamps. They were placed in small cages and with the help of such primitive lanterns they illuminated their dwellings.
  • Every year at the beginning of summer, the Firefly Festival is held in Japan. With the onset of dusk, spectators gather in the garden near the temple and watch the fabulously beautiful flight of many luminous bugs.
  • The most common species in Europe is firefly, which is popularly called the Ivanov worm. It received such a name because of the belief that the firefly insect begins to glow on the night of Ivan Kupala.

N.Yu. FEOKTISTOV

“... at first, only two or three green dots blinked there, smoothly sliding among the trees.
But gradually there were more of them, and now the whole grove was illuminated by a fantastic green glow.
We have never seen such a huge cluster of fireflies.
They rushed like a cloud among the trees, crawled over the grass, bushes and trunks...
Then sparkling streams of fireflies floated over the bay ... "
J. Durrell. "My family and other animals"

Everyone has heard of fireflies. Many have seen them. But what do we know about the biology of these amazing insects?

Fireflies, or fireflies, are representatives of a separate family of Lampyridae in the order of beetles. In total there are about 2000 species, and they are distributed almost all over the world. Dimensions different types fireflies range from 4 to 20 mm. The males of these beetles have a cigar-shaped body and a rather large head with large hemispherical eyes and short antennae, as well as very reliable and strong wings. But female fireflies are usually wingless, soft-bodied and resemble larvae in their appearance. True, in Australia there are species in which wings are developed in both males and females.

All types of fireflies have an amazing ability to emit soft phosphorescent light in the dark. Their luminous organ - photophore - is most often located at the end of the abdomen and consists of three layers. The lower layer acts as a reflector - the cytoplasm of its cells is filled with microscopic uric acid crystals that reflect light. The top layer is represented by a transparent, light-transmitting cuticle - in a word, everything, as in an ordinary lantern. Actually photogenic, light-producing cells are located in the middle layer of the photophore. They are densely braided with tracheae, through which air enters with the oxygen necessary for the reaction, and contain great amount mitochondria. Mitochondria produce the energy necessary for the oxidation of a special substance luciferin with the participation of the corresponding enzyme - luciferase. The visible result of this reaction is bioluminescence - luminescence.

The efficiency of firefly flashlights is unusually high. If in an ordinary light bulb only 5% of the energy is converted into visible light (and the rest is dissipated in the form of heat), then in fireflies, from 87 to 98% of the energy passes into light rays!

The light emitted by these insects belongs to a rather narrow yellow-green spectrum and has a wavelength of 500–650 nm. There are no ultraviolet and infrared rays in the bioluminescent light of fireflies.

The glowing process is under nervous control. Many species are able to increase or decrease the intensity of light at will, as well as emit intermittent light.

Both male and female fireflies have a luminous organ. Moreover, larvae, pupae, and even eggs laid by these beetles glow, although much weaker.

The light emitted by many tropical species of fireflies is very bright. The first Europeans who settled in Brazil, in the absence of candles, lit their homes with fireflies. They also filled the lamps in front of the icons. Indians, traveling at night through the jungle, still tie large fireflies to their big toes. Their light not only helps to see the road, but also, possibly, repels snakes.

Entomologist Evelyn Chisman wrote in 1932 that some eccentric ladies of South America and the West Indies, where especially large fireflies are found, decorated their hair and dress with these insects before evening holidays, and live jewelry sparkled like diamonds on them.

You and I cannot admire the glow of bright tropical species, but fireflies also live in our country.

Our most common large firefly (Lampyris noctiluca) is also known as Ivanov's worm. This name was given to the female of this species, which has an elongated wingless body. It is her rather bright flashlight that we usually notice in the evenings. Ivanova worm males are small (about 1 cm) brown bugs with well-developed wings. They also have organs of luminescence, but you can usually notice them only by taking the insect in your hands.

The book by Gerald Durrell, the lines from which are taken as an epigraph to our article, most likely mentions the flying firefly Luciola mingrelica, which is found not only in Greece, but also on the Black Sea coast (including in the Novorossiysk region), and often arranges there are similar fantastic performances.

And in Primorye you can meet a rare and little-studied firefly pyrocelia (Pyrocaelia rufa). Both males and females of this species actively glow on dark August nights.

It is believed that the bioluminescence of fireflies is a means of intersexual communication: partners let each other know about their location with light signals. And if our fireflies glow with a constant light, then many tropical and North American forms flash their lanterns, and in a certain rhythm. Some species perform real serenades for their partners, moreover choral ones, flashing and fading in unison with the whole flock gathered on one tree.

And the beetles, located on the neighboring tree, also flare up in concert, but not in time with the fireflies sitting on the first tree. Also, in their own rhythm, bugs glow on other trees. Eyewitnesses say that this sight is so bright and beautiful that it overshadows the illumination of large cities.

Hour after hour, weeks and even months, the bugs flash on their trees in the same rhythm. Neither the wind nor heavy rain cannot change the intensity and frequency of flashes. Only the bright light of the moon can dim these unique natural lanterns for a while.

You can break the synchronism of the flashes if you illuminate the tree with a bright lamp. But when the external light goes out, the fireflies again, as if on command, begin to blink. First, those in the center of the tree adapt to the same rhythm, then the neighboring beetles connect to them and gradually waves of lights flashing in unison spread through all the branches of the tree.

Male fireflies of different species fly in search of flashes of a certain intensity and frequency - signals emitted by the female of their species. As soon as the huge eyes catch the right light password, the male descends nearby, and the beetles, having shined their lights for each other, perform the sacrament of marriage. However, this idyllic picture can sometimes be disturbed in the most nightmarish way through the fault of the females of certain species belonging to the genus Photuris. These females emit signals that attract males of other species. And then they just eat them. This phenomenon is called aggressive mimicry.

But if no tragedies occur and beetles of the same species find each other, then after the mating ceremony, the female lays eggs, from which rather voracious larvae come out, the favorite food of many of which are snails and slugs. With their powerful mandibles, firefly larvae not only bite through the covers of snails, but also inject paralyzing poison into their body. Then they quietly devour the prey. For example, in Japan, larvae of the water firefly (Luciola cruciata) are quite common in rice fields. They live in water or wet silt and are clearly visible at night because of the bright blue glow. These larvae are very useful in that they eat gastropods, that are intermediate hosts various flukes.

The grown larva climbs under stones or under the bark of trees and pupates there. The pupa survives the winter, and in the spring a new firefly comes out of it, ready to please the world with its amazing light...

Who watched the fine summer evenings at the first appearances of twilight, an amazing and unusual glow in the grass? Everything around takes fabulous image. Some unusually mysterious radiation comes from these luminous points.

Constantly haunted by a premonition of something fabulously good. What is this miracle of nature? This is something other than fireflies, about which many children's cartoons and fairy tales were filmed.

Everyone knows about this amazing insect since early childhood. firefly in the garden intrigues and fascinates, attracts and attracts with its unusual abilities.

To the question why do fireflies flicker there is still no clear answer. More often researchers lean towards one version. Allegedly, such a fabulous and unusual light is emitted by a female firefly insect, which thus tries to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

Such a connection of love between the sexes of fireflies and their mysterious glow were noticed in ancient times, which is why ancestors have long associated their special glow and the holiday of Ivan Kupala.

But indeed it is in the first days of July that this is observed most often. In the past, fireflies were called Ivanovy worms. They belong to the order of lampiridae beetles. Not everywhere you can see such beauty.

But those people who have seen it at least once in their lives say with delight that this is an unforgettable and impressive sight. Photo of fireflies not so chic conveys all their charm, but you can also look at it for a long time with bated breath. It is not only beautiful, but also romantic, impressive, bewitching, alluring.

Features and habitat

Today, there are about 2,000 species of fireflies in nature. Their nondescript appearance in the daytime is in no way associated with the beauty that radiates from fireflies at night.

Each such cell has its own substance, which is a fuel called luciferin. This whole complex system of a firefly works with the help of the breath of an insect. When he inhales, air moves through the trachea to the luminous organ.

There, luciferin is oxidized, which releases energy and gives light. Insect phytocides are arranged so thoughtfully and subtly that they do not even consume energy. Although they don't have to worry about it because it works this system with enviable labor intensity and return.

The CAC of these insects is equal to 98%. This means that only 2% can be spent in vain. For comparison, the technical inventions of people have FCC from 60 to 90%.

Darkness conquerors. This is not their latest and most important achievement. They easily know how to manage their "flashlights". Only some of them are not given the ability to regulate the supply of light.

All the rest are able to change the degree of glow, then kindling, then extinguishing their "bulbs". This is not just a glare game for insects. With the help of such actions, they distinguish their own from others. The fireflies living in Malaysia are especially perfect in this regard.

Their ignition and dulling of the glow occurs synchronously. In the jungle at night, such synchronicity is misleading. It looks like someone hung a festive garland.

It should be noted that such an amazing ability to shine at night is not inherent in all fireflies. Among them there are those who prefer to lead a daily lifestyle. They do not glow at all, or their faint glow is seen in dense forest jungles and caves.

A wide distribution of fireflies is observed in the northern hemisphere of the planet. The territory of North America and Eurasia is their favorite habitat. They are comfortable in deciduous forests, meadows and swamps.

Character and lifestyle

This is not quite a collective insect, yet it most often gathers in mass aggregations. In the daytime, their passive sitting on the grass is observed. The arrival of dusk inspires fireflies to move and fly.

They fly smoothly, measuredly and quickly at the same time. Firefly larvae cannot be called sedentary. They prefer to lead a wandering lifestyle. They are comfortable not only on land, but also in water.

Fireflies love warmth. IN winter time years, insects hide under the bark of a tree. And with the advent of spring and after good nutrition, they pupate. It is interesting that some females, in addition to all the above advantages, also have cunning.

They know what kind of light a particular species can shine. They also start to glow. Naturally, the male of that species notices the familiar glow and approaches to mate.

But the male stranger who noticed the trick is not given the opportunity to hide. The female devours it, while receiving a sufficient amount of useful substances for her life and for the development of larvae. Until now, fireflies have not been fully studied. There's a lot more ahead scientific discoveries on this occasion.

Nutrition

These insects can be safely attributed to predators. fireflies feed variety of animal food. They love ants, spiders, the larvae of their fellows, and rotten plants.

Not all fireflies are predators. Among them there are also species that prefer pollen and plant nectar. Species of fireflies in the imago phase, for example, do not eat anything at all, they do not have a mouth at all. Those fireflies that fraudulently lure representatives of other species to themselves and immediately eat them have chosen the most hard way food extraction.

Reproduction and lifespan

flickering fireflies This is one of their main achievements. They not only lure potential food in this way, but also attract the opposite sex. This is most noticeable at the beginning. summer period. Fireflies ignite their sparks of love and search for their partner among the vast array of insects.

Mating does not take long. After him, the female has the task of laying eggs in the ground. After some time, larvae emerge from the eggs. They are more like worms and are very voracious. The ability to glow is literally inherent in the larvae of all species. And all of them are essentially predators.

During its maturation, the larva prefers to hide among stones, in the soil and between the bark. The development of the larvae takes a lot of time. One needs to overwinter, while other species are in the larval stage for several years.

Then the larva transforms into a pupa, which after 1-2.5 weeks becomes a real firefly. firefly in the forest does not live long. Average duration these lives are about 90 - 120 days.