Fire-flies

[GlueGuy]

We saw them a lot when I lived in the midwest. Pretty rare in California, but I do remember seeing them "somewhere", I just don't remember "where" it was. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Maybe the better half remembers where it was.... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

The GlueGuy

 

[looch]

Lots here in Southern Quebec. Ever have one hit your car windshield and remain lit? Pretty weird.

 

[OregonTom]

None here in Oregon that I have ever seen. I remember them from growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, though. I miss 'em!

OregonTom

 

[Boondox]

Vermont has loads of 'em. They drive the cats crazy!

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[MarkV]

We get a few down here in Georgia, but nothing like I remember as a kid in Illinois.

MarkV

 

[patrickg]

Bird,
You must have forgotten to look after sundown or something! I'm in South Central Oklahoma (25 east of I-35, 30 south of I-40. We are innundated. My wife and I sit out in the late twilight 2100 or so (9PM) and watch them (we aren't into TV so much) The numbers have been increasing steadily for the last several weeks. We mused the other night about how we were so grown up, adult, and reserved and offered as proof that we weren't catching them, waiting for them to turn on, and then pinching their tails off and sticking it on a finger as the set in a ring. Keeps glowing for quite a while. Strange how watching Luciferin being energized by Luciferase is so mesmerizing. It has been since the 50's when I read what it was that made them glow so if I botched it or science has been revised, I appologize.

 

[Bird]

Patrick, you're in the country I was born and raised in, but I moved down to the Dallas area in '56./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Maybe that's the difference; the fire flies are still in Oklahoma; just don't come on south; too hot maybe?

Bird

 

[RPM]

Boondox,

Funny you should mention that - I was just outside watching our two kittens race around and try and catch them. They give up after a while and go and mope - then it just gets too much for them and off they go again!

There are even more out tonight than last - when I look out at the pasture next to me (not mine) that was hayed around 3 weeks ago it looks like it is shimmering after a few minutes.

Just an amazing phenomenon!

By the way, I spent hours when I was younger trying to figure out how to make 'tracer' bb's for my catapult and/or bb gun using fireflies. Never worked though. Seems like the firefly population survived my best efforts!

 

[Bird]

Dang, you guys made me have to go outside tonight to see if I'd been overlooking something, but not a fire fly in sight anywhere.

Bird

 

[glennmac]

I was just out with my dogs looking at them.

Bird, I think you have them but they may be lightning bugs instead of fireflies. For them, you may have to go out into the middle of your pasture, away from all the house lights. And, since you're an hour earlier than us in the east, you should do your looking later. Elementary entomology, you see.