The first fireflies of the summer are appearing around Gainesville.
“Florida is a very dynamic state firefly-wise,” said Marc Branham, a leader of UF’s Branham Lab, which studies fireflies and other beetles. “We have about 15 species in the North Central Florida area alone.”
Branham said the best time to see fireflies is in June, when the mating flashes are at their peaks.
However, Florida’s climate means they can be found in varying numbers throughout the year. A few species, including nonluminescent species, are more active in the winter but, due to multiple freezes, their numbers stayed down, Branham said.
“As a state, we have the highest number of fireflies of any other in the country, followed closely by Georgia,” he said.
Branham said increasing pesticide and mosquito-fog use, light pollution and lowering aquifers are possible contributors to the declining numbers.
Abby Noonan, a 21-year-old UF history junior, said she loves the fireflies’ glow.
“I used to catch fireflies at my grandparents’ house,” she said “They looked magical — like little stars in the sky until they flew away.”
