At-Home Nature Lessons: Firefly Facts + Printables

Our friend Hillary Truslow of Mass Audubon shares firefly scouting tips and resources. Be sure to check out Mass Audubons virtual summer camp options!

“As the sun set, a little firefly was born. It stretched its wings and flew off into the darkening sky. It was a lonely firefly, and flashed its light searching for other fireflies.”

— Eric Carle

I have to admit something. For some time, reading Eric Carle's The Very Lonely Firefly was the extent of my family's firefly interactions. But over the last several years, we have been doing what families have done for centuries: enjoy these little, fascinating bugs as they light up the summer night sky.

Sadly, it's getting harder and harder to see fireflies, most likely due to development, manicured yards, and light pollution. If you want to get involved in some hands on science at home, you can join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies via Firefly Watch!

To prepare for our own firefly scouting, I checked in with one of the Drumlin Farm educators for a few tips and pointers. Here's what I learned:

Basic Facts About Fireflies

Fireflies aren't actually flies, but beetles.
In North America, there are over 150 species of fireflies in 16 genera. There are three main groups of flashing fireflies: Photinus, Pyractomena, and Photuris (you can see photos here). These fireflies are very difficult to tell apart, and researchers are not yet sure how many different species live in New England!
The flashing is a way to attract a mate. Males flash from trees or shrubs, females respond by flashing from the grass.

How to see fireflies

Your best shot at seeing them is in meadows near shrubby, wooded areas.
You can encourage them to your yard by leaving some areas of grass to grow longer, turn off outside lights, and leave leaf litter under trees.
To see fireflies without disturbing their mating patterns, put a blue film over your flashlight. Fireflies can't see blue.