fireflies

Nature is best cared for by leaving it the fuck alone.

Me neither!

... Although I live in a desert and haven't seen fireflies anywhere else in ages... Lol

Yeah, leaving leaf coverage is great for all kinds of larvae. Leaving them alone also slows weeds from growing and as the leaves break down they fertilize the soil.

The modern problem is that there are not enough critters roaming around to naturally step on foliage to break them down.

I think it depends on the species. Also, most species have non-flying females.

I see them in my backyard during the summer. It just sort of depends on the area you're in.

European here, stopped seeing them at the end of 90s, before they were so common, even in city

They were when I was a kid. I haven’t seen them in a long time now though :(

I used to have a rural property that bordered on a nature preserve. There were so many fireflies you could walk through the forest on a moonless night without a flashlight.

Each summer evening, from dusk till about an hour after sunset, my yard is full of them. By late afternoon, if you look along and underside of folliage adjacent to open areas you can find them ready for the evening. They have a little dance, the steps of which aren't followed too closely. Let's see if I can remember it. They stay about 40 cm of the ground and fly up to about 2 meters up. After reaching the apex of their flight they flash their butts, and then proceed downward and slightly forward in a jerking stair-step pattern. The entire time flashing a repeated sequence of flashes the same color as a yellow glow stick. They so this from late spring through summer.

Depends on the area, the US is big. It's been a while since I've been but some areas of Ohio had tons of them every night. I've never seen any in the Pacific northwest though. But even that's a pretty broad region could be some around here I don't know about

I saw so many growing up in Appalachia!

I've seen them in the mountains or more wild areas multiple times, both in eastern and western Europe. You have to be outside during the night so most likely camping.

I'm from Switzerland and I've seen them here once. They weren't flying though, only sitting next to a foot path. At first I thought they were just some green/yellow LEDs.

Awww, that's sad! There are plenty here in the region in Italy.

Extremely common here in NJ. I mean less so because exactly what this comic shows. It's why I don't rake leaves and leave them under the hedges. Not because I'm lazy.

See some still in Kansas. My grandparents in Wichita used to have tons of them about 35 years ago; not as many now. Right time of year you'll still generally see 2-5 at a time in our yard.

Yeah in the warmer regions of North America and I think across the pacific as well.

Yup! I live in Pennsylvania & I see loads of them every summer.

Only time I’ve seen them was in the suburbs around Chicago.

Your neighbor does what with their grass?

It's both. It's a beautiful little call and response like system they have evolved to do. Typically the males will light up while they are flying and the females light up on the ground. There are some species that are predatory though and will mimic and use the lights to hunt the others.

skill issue