Many of us have admired the beautiful light that fireflies make from our backyards. Over the years many of us have witnessed the disappearance of fireflies. Human activities are causing a potential extinction for fireflies.
For the past few years, biologists who study different species of fireflies have seen a rapid decline of their populations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature put a team of firefly experts and biologists together to investigate what is happening to firefly populations. They found that the main contributor to this decline is habitat loss, followed by light pollution and pesticide use. In Malaysia, there is a rapid decline of the species Pteroptyx tener because their mangrove forest habitats are being turned into shrimp and palm oil farms. However, Sara Lewis, a Biologist at Tufts University, claims that in the United States the big dipper firefly is still “widespread.” The second largest contributor to the fireflies' population decline is light pollution. Fireflies flash light for courtship. The overuse of lights during the night in countries like the U.S. prevent the fireflies light to be seen, thus they cannot attract a mate and reproduce. Pesticides are also responsible. During the day fireflies spend most of their time in soil or grass and are vulnerable to pesticides. Common lawn pesticides and pesticides used by farmers are killing fireflies and their larvae.
Currently, research is being conducted on how to help the fireflies. My best guess is that an overall decrease in light pollution and use of pesticides is the best way to save the fireflies.
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