Thursday 23 May 2013

Amazing Fireflies

By A B Mac


I remember seeing fireflies when I was a teenager however I had actually not seen them for awhile. At a class one summer, someone suggested that we walk to a field to see the fireflies. Remembering the joy they were to view in earlier years, many of us decided to hike to the field. We carried flashlights and walked quietly along the path until we rounded a corner and saw an incredible sight.

A familiar sight from years ago on hot summer nights, each firefly flashing its light in a pattern unique to its subspecies. Each blinking pattern an optical signal that helped the fireflies to discover possible mates. Scientists are unsure exactly how the insects regulate this process to turn their lights on and off. They just know they have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens and each intermittent blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies find possible mates. Firefly light could also serve as a defense mechanism that flashes a clear warning of the bug's unappetizing taste.

These winged fireflies are additionally called lightening bugs. There are other bugs that are luminescent insects which do not have wings and these bugs are called glowworms. The pests absorb oxygen and, inside unique cells, integrate it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with practically no heat.

I was shocked to find out that there were about 2,000 different species of fireflies which are actually beetles. They are part of the insect household known as Lampyridae and reside in a range of warm environments and environments.

Ladies transfer their eggs in the ground, which is where larvae grow to adulthood. Fireflies generally lay their eggs in wet soil. Eggs hatch within weeks, and larvae overwinter. Underground larvae feed on worms and slugs by injecting them with a numbing fluid. Fireflies might stay in the larval phase for several years before pupating in the spring. In 10 days to a couple of weeks, adults come out of the pupal cases. Adults live simply long enough to reproduce. Grownups normally feed on nectar or pollen, though some grownups do not eat at all.

Many fireflies have foul-tasting protective substances to deter killers, like jumping spiders or even birds. These substances, called lucibufagins, cause the predator to throw up, an experience it will not remember when it next encounters a firefly.

In a firefly's tail, you'll find two chemicals: luciferase and luciferin. Luciferin is heat resistant, and it glows under the right conditions. Luciferase is an enzyme that causes light emission. ATP, a chemical within the firefly's body, transforms to energy and initiates the radiance. This firefly flies in a "J" pattern as it flashes.

Fireflies are a varied great deal. Some flash their lights Morse-code design, some radiance more languorously, some synchronize with others around them, and some fly in an unique pattern while flashing. The range of signals permits types residing in the exact same habitat to identify amongst themselves while trying to find mates.




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