Talk to anybody who has grown up in the North, and they will surely regale you with fond memories of catching lightning bugs on warm summer nights. Ask born-and-raised Floridians, and they'll stare blankly as no memories come to mind.
Even though Florida has more firefly species than any other state, most native Floridians admit to never having seen one.
"Most people [in the Southeast] have the impression that fewer fireflies are out, and that's true. There's more habitat destruction," said Marc Branham, a professor of entomology at UF.
"We've been studying fireflies in their habitats, which used to be forests and farmers' fields, but are now parking lots and strip malls," he added.
He also explained the positive correlation between wet springs and summers and high firefly activity. Since much of the Southeast, including Florida, is experiencing somewhat of a drought, there are less fireflies as a result.
States in the northern, northeastern and midwestern regions of the country have had much more rain this season, increasing firefly activity in those areas.
The reason for this paradox is while Florida is a subtropical region and has the most species of fireflies, it also has fewer individuals per species compared to northern states.
Temperate regions like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota have fewer firefly species, but the fireflies there are more dense in population, which is why they are more commonly seen in those areas.
Southeastern states also use potent mosquito sprays, which kill the mosquitoes as well as the fireflies.
They can be seen in Florida, however, by going to the outskirts of town or the countryside, where the spraying is mild to nonexistent.
"Even though mosquitoes carry diseases, people would much rather trade spraying mosquitoes for more fireflies," Branham said.
Many people have favorable or comical memories when it comes to catching fireflies.
Korie Padgett, of Orlando, recalled a story from a family camping trip.
"I went to the mountains in Tennessee and caught them in a jar. My sister decided to open the jar in the tent, so we had like 50 fireflies swarming around in there."
Catching lightning bugs evokes different memories for everyone. Humorous or heartwarming, they invite people to remember happy times in the past. Christine Guinan, 18, summed it up perfectly.
"When I was in New York with my family, I would catch them with my cousins. It was a bonding experience with my family."
