As kid in Virginia in the 60s Summer evenings were magical - Lightening Bug galore. Then mosquito spraying began. The mosquitos remained - Lightening Bugs not so much:(
Nice to see that "swatting with badminton rackets" isn't endangering them enough to make the article. As someone who was raised in a firefly-dense rural area, let me tell you, the thrill of the bioluminescent sparks is the closest I got to cocaine as a kid.
Here in SE Tennessee, we have a few areas with the "congregating pulses" type (i.e. they all blink [mostly] together). But they're all green, here =D
You sound remorseful (from your youthful indiscretions); but out of curiosity... does the "glow" splat when thwacked (with a tennis racket)? or does it immediately extinguish?
It was the hellish sort of destructive behavior unique to teenage boys. Very, very fun in its own way. But, alas, perhaps I’m still paying back the universe in some way.
The bioluminescence stays lit for some time. For example, you can paint your face with it. With the rackets, they splatter like fireworks.
"I'm an adult. I will not record this incredibly-sounding phenomenon for the YouTuby viewies..."
I'll just take your word for it.
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I am forty-something, but I still always cringe when I think about that sappling I destroyed (recklessly, with my teenage-swung crowbar), just to show off to some girl...
Seeing fireflies for the first time, in my 30s, was (and still is) magical.
You sound remorseful (from your youthful indiscretions); but out of curiosity... does the "glow" splat when thwacked (with a tennis racket)? or does it immediately extinguish?
The bioluminescence stays lit for some time. For example, you can paint your face with it. With the rackets, they splatter like fireworks.
[looks at tennis racket nervously]
"I'm an adult. I will not record this incredibly-sounding phenomenon for the YouTuby viewies..."
I'll just take your word for it.
----
I am forty-something, but I still always cringe when I think about that sappling I destroyed (recklessly, with my teenage-swung crowbar), just to show off to some girl...
This channel has some fairly unique practical information on raising them (and some other things as well) for those interested: https://www.youtube.com/@PeppersnGlowworms/playlists
> Herein, we define ‘lost species’ as those with no confirmed observation record within the past decade.
Confirmed from another source [0], which attempts to formalize the language (not that long ago!).
[0] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/lost-bu...