• Key Information

  • Fireflies

  • Other names
    Lightning bugs, glowworms
  • Species
    Over 2,000 species
  • Diet
    Carnivores and Herbivores
  • Length
    Up to 1 in
  • Lifespan
    Varies
  • Classification
    Insecta > Polyphaga > Elateroidea
  • Conservation Status
    Various, some threatened
  • Habitat
    Temperate and tropical climates
  • Learning Point
  • Fireflies are a form of beetle that produces a chemical light that they can use to communicate to each other, creating a beautiful display that during the evening or night time.
  • Project
  • Draw a picture of fireflies at night.
  • Media
  • Location
  • Places
    Worldwide.
  • Fun Facts
  • The larvae of fireflies glow to warn predators that they are taste horrible!
  • Some fireflies live up to two years or more.
  • Female Photuris fireflies mimic the flash pattern of Photinus fireflies to trap their males as prey.
  • Some adults fireflies, like the European glow-worm, have no mouth, and emerge only to mate and lay eggs before dying.
  • The oldest known fossil firefly is Protoluciola from the end of the Cretaceous, found in Burmese amber in Myanmar.