Fireflies: The Twinkle in Nature’s Eye

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A firefly-studded meadow in New Jersey.
A firefly-studded meadow in New Jersey.
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The Pyralis firefly, common east of the Rocky Mountains.
The Pyralis firefly, common east of the Rocky Mountains.
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Fireflies blend with the stars above Plymouth, Mass.
Fireflies blend with the stars above Plymouth, Mass.
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The Pennsylvania firefly, common from the Atlantic coast to Texas and north to Manitoba.
The Pennsylvania firefly, common from the Atlantic coast to Texas and north to Manitoba.
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There are some 2,000 species of fireflies, many of them native to the tropics in South America and the Pacific Ocean. They’re all members of the family Lampyridae, which loosely translated means “shining fire.”
There are some 2,000 species of fireflies, many of them native to the tropics in South America and the Pacific Ocean. They’re all members of the family Lampyridae, which loosely translated means “shining fire.”

It was back in the days when my old friend Hugh was a new friend. We’d just finished dinner at his cabin in North Carolina’s Saluda Mountains. “Let’s go for a walk,” he said, “I have something to show you.” Noting a suspicious glint in his eyes, I asked him what was up. “You’ll see,” he said. “Here, take a flashlight. It’ll be dark by the time we get back.”

So we filed outside, Hugh in the lead and my wife, Laurel, and I following and exchanging “now-what?” glances. He led us onto an old logging road that plunged deep into the early-summer woods. The darkening forest was hushed, save for occasional twilight birdsong. All around were tangles of rhododendron and wizened old oaks towering above bracken fern. It was the sort of woodland where, at any turn, you would half expect to see an impish elf. But the magic we were about to witness far surpassed any mere fantasy.

“Here,” Hugh declared, stopping as we came into a small clearing.

“Where?” I asked, looking round.

“Just wait,” Hugh said, mysterious as ever. “Just wait.”

  • Published on Jun 1, 2004
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