A longtime hallmark of summertime and childhood for many is in danger: fireflies slowly are blinking out as part of a “great insect decline,” scientists say.
Habitat loss, light pollution and pesticide use are driving the lightning bug population down, causing concern for biodiversity and food chain stability. The bugs are just one species affected by a global phenomenon that finds 40% of insects to be threatened with extinction.
“It really is about the biodiversity out there,” said Jim Anderson, the vice president of Citizens for Conservation. “All these insects we might not see on a regular basis or pay attention to, but they’re out there. They’re playing a role in nature, and some of them are really, really important.”
While it might seem that this year in particular there are more fireflies than usual, that’s likely due to accelerated mating cycles as a result of warming temperatures, Anderson said.
Amid a hotter climate, fireflies tend to mate and emerge earlier in the year. In the last century, the average daily temperature in Illinois increased by 1-2 degrees, a recent study found.
While Anderson said earlier mating cycles haven’t occurred for long enough to study their potential long-term impact, a 2022 “State of the Fireflies” report lists climate change as one of the main drivers of the species’ decline — primarily because global warming contributes to habitat degradation.
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