Lights Off. Fireflies On.
Everyone can play a role in protecting our fireflies!
“Georgia has incredible diversity of habitat, plants and wildlife, including high numbers of firefly (lightning bug) species. In addition to many less obvious night time and daytime lighting bugs, in the correct dark setting, North Georgia has spectacular displays of certain species like Snappy Syncs, the Smokies Syncs, the Christmas Lights, Blue Ghosts and Big Dippers; and interestingly, has several extremely rare species, Loopy 5s and Pointy Lobed, which experts are still discovering and documenting.” – Lynn Faust, Firefly expert and consultant to many state and national parks
How to plant your milkweed plants:
If you participated in Fannin County’s Milkweed Giveaway you received either Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) or Rose/Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). These plants could be used by fireflies. Milkweed plants contain cardiac glycosides, which are distasteful to insect predators. When fireflies consume parts of the milkweed plants, they are also consuming the cardiac glycosides which give the fireflies a chemical defense against predators.
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) thrives in full to part -full sun. It will do well in dry soils to medium-wet soils with good drainage. The plant will grow up to 2 feet in height with orange blossoms, blooming from June until August. Plant after danger of frost.
Rose or Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) perfers full sun but will grow in part shade. It likes medium to wet soils. Remember, up in the mountains we have a large amount of annual rainfall so the plants should be fine with soil moisture. They plants will grow up to 4 feet in height and the rosy blooms can have a slight vanilla fragrance. Plant after danger of frost.
Both of these plants are perennials so be patient if the plants stay small the first year. With perennials we say “the first year they sleep, the second year they sleep, and the third year they leap!” During the daylight hours look for fireflies on the leaves, bumble bees on the blooms, and Monarch Butterflies laying eggs on the underside of the leaves. These plants are an important part of our native ecosystem. If you have any questions, contact Becky Griffin at beckygri@uga.eduing
Fascinating Firefly Facts
- Fireflies are not really flies but are beetles in the Lampyridae (meaning “lamp”) family.
- Firefly flashes are the result of a chemical reaction that happens in an organ under the insect’s abdomen.
- Most of a firefly’s lifecycle is spent in the larval phase. Firefly larvae are predators of soft-bodied invertebrates like slugs and they like a habitat of leaf litter and downed trees.
- Over 2,000 firefly species are found around the world on every continent except Antarctica.
- In most species, the female fireflies don’t fly. They perch on high grasses waiting for a mate.
- The most common firefly in Georgia is the Big Dipper (Photinus pyralis) which moves in a J-shaped flight path.
- On average adult fireflies live for just a few weeks.
- Information on our most common firefly – the Big Dipper (Photinus pyralis)
What can YOU do for fireflies:
Create firefly habitat.
Set aside natural areas of your landscape that include leaf litter, rotting logs and unmowed vegetation. Plant native trees, shrubs and grasses of varying heights. Protect and enhance moisture in your landscape or create a water feature.
Eliminate unnecessary night lighting.
Artificial night light interferes with the fireflies ability to communicate and find a mate. Turn outdoor lights off at night. Take steps to reduce the effects of lighting that must stay on. Use light shields or red light bulbs. Consider making your home dark sky friendly.
Make memories.
Fireflies are one of our most cherished symbols of summer. Spend time outside on summer evenings enjoying the firefly show Learn about the different species in your area and spread the word about firefly conservation.
Becky Griffin, UGA Extension, sat down with firefly expert, Lynn Faust, to talk about Faust’s experience in researching fireflies and the wonder of North Georgia lightning bugs!
For More Information:
- Enthusiastic fireflyers are encouraged to enter their sightings in the Xerces Society Firefly Atlas
- University of Georgia created a firefly fact card.
- The book Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs by Lynn Frierson Faust is a fantastic resource for firefly enthusiasts.
- Visit darksky.org for tips on minimizing harmful outdoor lighting.
- Work towards making your landscape firefly certified at firefly.org.
- If you live near Atlanta, consider participating in the Atlanta Firefly Project .
- Firefly Conservation: A Guide to Protecting the Jewels of the Night is a small booklet published by the Xerces Society.
- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to the Synchoronous Fireflies (Photinus carolinus). The park holds a popular lottery allowing only a restricted number of viewers to watch the fireflies flash.
Firefly Photo Gallery:
For more information, contact Becky Griffin (beckygri@uga.edu) at University of Georgia Extension.
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (working cooperatively with Fort Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the counties of Georgia) offers its educational programs, assistance, and materials to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action organization.