Brighten Someone’s Day - Let Your Light Shine

Fireflies and lightning bugs are the same insect.  They are actually beetles and are nocturnal members of the family Lampyridae. Most fireflies are winged, which distinguishes them from other luminescent insects commonly known as glowworms. There are more than 170 species of light-emitting beetles in North America and more than 2,000 types worldwide. 

Fireflies love warm, humid climates and are found on almost every continent on Earth.  They inhabit forests, fields, and marshes near bodies of water.  Like all beetles, fireflies undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages in their life cycle.  They go from egg, to larva, to pupa, and to adult.  Some species of firefly larvae have gills and live in the water, while others live in trees. 

Fireflies love moisture and spring to life when rainfall is plentiful.  These insects feed mostly on snails, slugs and insect larvae.  Fireflies are fun to watch because they light up.  Inside special cells, they combine oxygen with a substance called luciferin which makes light with almost no heat.  They use this light which is called bioluminescence to light up the ends of their abdomen.  Most fireflies create a greenish-yellow light, although some do create an orange or yellow glow.   

Each firefly species has its own unique flashing pattern. They communicate at night by flashing light in their abdomens to find a mate.  Males are trying to get the attention of female fireflies. Some species may ‘call’ for many hours a night, while others flash for only 20 minutes or so at dusk. Females remain on the ground and attract the males with their light.  After mating, the female will lay up to 500 eggs in damp soil.  

Besides mating and prey attraction, the fireflies use their light to let predators know that their potential meal isn’t very tasty and might even be toxic. Fireflies can be poisonous to their predators.  When a predator attacks, some fireflies start ‘reflex bleeding’. They produce drops of blood filled with nasty chemicals that are poisonous to lizards and birds. Not all fireflies contain these toxic chemicals. 

Fireflies are beneficial insects.  They do not sting or bite.  They will not eat your crops or become a pest in the garden.  They spend most of their daylight hours on the ground among the tall grasses resting close to the spot where you see them after dark. The larvae are grub-like and feed on worms, slugs, and snails.  Adult fireflies only live a few weeks and some feed on nectar. A firefly can live for approximately two months in the wild.

These are the sayings on the bookmark called Advice from a Firefly.

• Be full of bright ideas

• Pulse with excitement

• Have a healthy glow

• Delight in summer evenings

• Keep a childlike sense of wonder

• Set a shining example

• Lighten up! 

Here are my comments about each of these sayings.

• Be full of bright ideas - Bright ideas are inspiring. They can lead to new discoveries. 

• Pulse with excitement - Excitement gets your attention. Excitement is a feeling or situation full of activity, joy, exhilaration, or upheaval. 

• Have a healthy glow - Skin that looks healthy and ‘awake’ rather than dry and dull leads to having a healthy glow. 

• Delight in summer evenings - Enjoy summer evenings - I think of camp and sitting around the campfire enjoying time with family and friends. 

• Keep a childlike sense of wonder - Retain the interest and excitement of new things, new places, and new experiences.  

• Set a shining example - This makes me think of our handbell piece we played last night - This Little Light of Mine - I’m going to let it shine.  

• Lighten up! - Become less serious.  Be cheerful and let your light shine. 

Have a great day everyone.  Brighten someone’s day and let your light shine.

# living life abundantly   # published author   # travelling tuesdays