As some of you may know, I currently live outside of Richmond, VA. My back yard borders a forest, and one of the things I enjoy is watching the fireflies put on their 'show' every summer in the evening, usually beginning around the last two weeks in May. Well, we are now in June, and so far I have yet to see even one of these little guys lighting up the evenings. I know we had a pretty harsh 'polar vortex' winter, but I grew up in Michigan, where the winters were far more harsh, and we still had fireflies every summer. I'm posting this message here on 4042 because I'm curious to know if this is just a local anomoly, or is this a more widespread situation. Is anyone in Johnston County seeing fireflies yet, or does it seem like these guys are (for some reason) absent this year?
Enlightened Thanks, all, for the responses. I guess the little buggers are just 'running late' in my neck of the woods. I was a bit worried that there might have been some widespread but silent environmental event happening that kept them from returning, and I'm glad to see that this suspicion wasn't correct. I'll just have to be patient.
I just read in the last week or so that they are doing a study about the diminishing population and there was a website where you could do a count and report in so they could get an idea of how many are around. This was the story: http://www.wral.com/citizen-scientists-sought-for-firefly-count/13678842/ This is the link: http://www.clemson.edu/public/rec/baruch/firefly_project/index.html
I just noticed them for the first time in our yard on Saturday night...could have been there earlier but first time we were sitting outside for a spell. Even grown up, I find them almost magical to watch!
Still Dark ...and still nothing here. I hate to think that they are gone, because they add so much to the Summer evenings. Maybe this weekend....
Same as others . Seen them out about 3 weeks. We have a woods behind us and there were a lot last night. the neighbor kids were out catching them.
...and still nothing here. Don't know why I worry, they always show up eventually. It's just that Summer doesn't seem to "officially" start for me until I see one.
I just started seeing them in my yard yesterday. I was so excited that I bet my neighbors thought it was the first time I had ever seen them (Durham).
There's a species only in the NC Smokies where all the males syncronize their flashing. (Photinus carolinus) Was camped out trout fishing on Brown Moutain last week. No city lights to ruin the show. That area is normally border line for them but temps at night were in the high 70's and we were in the river valley. It was amazing. The forest canopy lit up and then went dark. Then the females on the forest floor matched the pattern. Over and over. Started at sundown and went on for 2 hours. I think they are the Brown Mountain Lights mystery?? Lol https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...FjARegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw1rNZKroSHx3CxUVzPj29sm
