Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Most insects of this species have soft bodies, though, making it hard to find fossils and trace the origin of the bioluminescence.

Fireflies have long been a staple of summertime, ordinary insects by day that become dancing sparks of light at night. Sadly, their magic is disappearing. One in three firefly species may be at risk ...

Iowa natives likely have a memory of seeing rural Iowa lit up by fireflies during the summer months; however, this tradition could be changing. There are more than 2,500 species of fireflies across ...

MISSOURI, USA — Lights in the Midwest's summer nights have grown dimmer over the past decades. The glowing flicks of fireflies, or lightning bugs, trigger nostalgia and deeply held childhood memories ...

The intermittent yellow lights flashing in my backyard have reminded me of one of my favorite beneficial insects, the lightningbug (or firefly). Did you know it was also selected as Indiana’s state ...

This is a good year to see fireflies in your backyard or in fields and woods thanks to the weather. “We had a mild, moist spring, and they had a really good larval stage,” Megan Abraham, division ...

Quick Take Firefly populations are declining worldwide, in large part due to habitat loss. Threats like climate change, pesticide use, and light pollution are contributing to this pressing issue. The ...

CHICAGO — Beatriz Swanson can remember the first time she saw the blinking glow. She was 10 years old, growing up in Mexico, when two fireflies appeared in front of her, floating away before she could ...

The flash of fireflies is a tiny but powerful sign of summer. These little insects delight young and old. They’re important enough to be Pennsylvania’s state insect, appropriately named photuris ...

Of all the intriguing insects out there, the Photuris firefly has always been one of my favorites. This “femme fatale” uses light as a weapon, mimicking the specific flashing mating signals of other ...

A strange fossil firefly found trapped in amber in Myanmar is shedding new light on the origin of glowing insects, scientists say. Several deepsea fish, mushrooms and insects are capable of emitting ...

Fireflies light up at Hummel Park in Omaha on Monday, June 30, 2025. Beatriz Swanson can remember the first time she saw the blinking glow. She was 10 years old, growing up in Mexico, when two ...