Lightning bugs/fire flies ?

[Kenneth Brown]

Anybody know anything about them? When I was a kid we had them all over, hundreds at a time. Till last year I hadn't seen any in probably 20 years. I have them at my farm/new house site but not very many, maybe 10 at a time is all we'll see. I want to bring in whatever they need to reproduce/eat/multiply as I love seeing them and the kids do too.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Lightning bugs/fire flies ?

We usually get them in late July and August.
But, because of the warm dry weather we have had the last couple of years, they start showing up earlier.
Had a bunch of them in May this year.


WHAT DO LIGHTNING BUGS EAT?


Lightning Bug larva
? Greg Scott

Lightning Bug larvae live on the ground, under bark, and in moist swampy places. They eat earthworms, snails and slugs, plus they may scavenge certain small dead animals and other organic material . They have been seen following slime trails to their victims. Lightning Bug larvae, one of which is shown at the right, have sickle-shaped mandibles with which they can inject a kind of chemical that paralyzes their prey and helps digest it. Several larvae have been seen attacking large prey together.

Adult Lightning Bugs, who can live for several months, probably feed on plant nectar.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Lightning bugs/fire flies ?

Get them every year in my yard. No secret.... they are just there. Just like Roscoe said a bit later on in the Summer.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Lightning bugs/fire flies ?

Well I'm set up already then. We have several creeks that run through the place and lots of dead timber and scrub brush.