Well, how many of you have ever seen a lightning bug? As a youngster growing up in Mississippi, we always spent our summers camping on the rivers, fishing and generally just enjoying the great outdoors. One of the most exciting things for all of us kids to do was to run around with empty jars (lids included!) and fill them with as many lightning bugs as we could find. After the sun went down, we got to enjoy all of our hard work and were absolutely fascinated watching the glow from the jars.
Not much of a comparison to PlayStation or Xbox I know, but heck - back then it was the best thing ever. Now, you might be thinking what an odd subject to post a blog about. Well, for me it was good memories, but more than that, it was one of my sisters randomly profound and unusual thoughts. So, my sister had to go back Home, and it has been about three years ago now, but I will always remember her and all the times we were chasing the lightning bugs around...
Whatever Happened to the Lightning Bugs?
Lightning Bugs (a.k.a. Fireflies)
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey.
Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. This chemically produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow, green, or pale-red, with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers.
About 2,000 species of firefly are found in temperate and tropical environments. Many are in marshes or in wet, wooded areas where their larvae have abundant sources of food. These larvae emit light and often are called "glowworms" in particular, in Eurasia.