Of all the intriguing insects out there, the Photuris firefly has always been one of my favorites. This “femme fatale” uses light as a weapon, mimicking the specific flashing mating signals of other ...

Q How do fireflies glow? — Ryan Hopp, Verona, Wis. A PJ Liesch, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab: Fireflies, sometimes called lightning bugs, are actually a type ...

From the depths of the ocean to the forest floor at night, some animals can do something that seems almost magical: they make ...

For millions of years, fireflies have relied on a precise chemical ballet to signal for mates in the summer dusk. Meanwhile, ...

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist and BPR, a public radio station serving western North Carolina. It’s firefly season in the Blue Ridge. As the sun goes down, they ...

Female Photuris fireflies use their light to mimic other firefly species, attracting unsuspecting males, ambushing them, then eating them. The Photuris firefly consumes males of other firefly species ...