Fireflies

June 12, 2024

Fireflies have started appearing in the evenings. The wet spring has probably been good for them.

The one pictured at the top of the post is a black firefly (Lucidota atra) I found in the wildflower garden. This species doesn’t usually light up, and is mostly active during the day. That’s probably how I was able to find one on pretty short notice!

While we were chatting about which ones were the “real” fireflies, Kate spotted one of the nocturnal fireflies napping on the underside of the shade tent:

These are the ones putting on the show at night. When they get going later in the summer, you really see how people could believe there were mystical faeries floating around the woods. It’s hard to capture on camera, but amazing to watch in person.

There are estimated to be a couple dozen species of firefly living in Ontario. Here’s a Cottage Life article from a while back with some tips on how to encourage these magical beetles to thrive in your own garden.

Have a great weekend!