Many people remember fireflies lighting up the night sky in their childhood. My mom used to tell me stories of her and her siblings catching them near the river that flows through our city. However, I have never seen a firefly in real life despite living in the same area. They are enigmatic arthropods, just between the realms of fantasy and reality. And apparently, this sentiment is a widespread and growing concern, as their numbers have been declining. And rapidly.

There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies in the world. Anecdotal accounts as well as some studies have shown a precipitous decline in their numbers. In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently identified several North American species of firefly that are at heightened risk of extinction. The exact cause of their decline is unknown, however there are several proposed factors including light pollution, pesticide use, poor water quality, invasive species, over-collection, and climate change. Additionally, firefly tourism, an increasingly popular pass time, may be contributing to their decline.

Light pollution may disturb the fireflies mating process, and has been shown to disturb larval dispersal. Firefly habitat protection is required to stabilize their numbers. for more information about firefly conservation, visit firefly.org