There are many reasons why lightning bugs light up in the first place. One reason is to attract mates. Each firefly species flashes light in a unique or special pattern, which allows other fireflies to identify their fellow species and potential mates. Some fireflies flash only once while others may do so up to nine times.

Apr 26,  · Lightning Bug Information Fireflies are nocturnal insects. Despite the name, they aren’t flies, but rather a type of winged beetle. The light produced by fireflies is a chemical reaction used to signal members of the opposite sex.

#4: How Do Lightning Bugs Glow? They glow in a chemical process called bioluminescence that lightning bugs can control by regulating the amount of oxygen that enters their lanterns through their exoskeletons. #5: Why Do Lightning Bugs Glow? They light up for three reasons: Most importantly, they light up to attract mates.

Jan 19,  · Fireflies or lightning bugs make light within their bodies. This process is called bioluminescence and is shared by many other organisms, mostly sea-living or marine organisms. Fireflies light up to attract a mate. To do this, the fireflies contain specialized cells in their abdomen that make light. The cells contain a chemical called luciferin and make an enzyme .

Found in both North and South America, these bugs and their larvae emit both green and red light—they’re the only bioluminescent insects that emit red light. The green lights are lined up along the insect’s body, while the red lights are on its head.

Whether you call them lightning bugs or fireflies, the little insects of taxonomic family Lampyridae are fascinating as they light up the night. A couple thousand species exist, and dimorphisms or sexual differences differ from one species to another. But they do have definite differences that you can see if you know what you’re looking for.

Oct 21,  · Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are from the family Coleoptera: Lampyridae and they might be our most beloved insect, inspiring poets and scientists alike. Fireflies are neither flies nor bugs; they are beetles, and there are 2, species on our planet.

Weather not only plays a role in how soon you’ll see lightning bug flashes but how many flashes too. On warm and humid evenings, lightning bugs can light up a field as if it were a Christmas tree! But on cooler nights when air temperatures take a dip into the 50s, don’t be surprised if you wait a minute or longer to see a single flash.

The reason is due to a process called bioluminescence, which is a chemical reaction inside a lightning bug's body that creates energy. Rather than .