@PooltoyWolf@unksol We have lightning bugs generally around, some in my yard, but there are two spots near my house where the trees are completely full of them. Last time I went to watch they were gone, I’m not sure if it was the weather or they’re done for the season. It’s the best time of the year. And my neighbors probably think I’m standing in the street Michael Meyers style deciding when to murder them because not enough people appreciate bugs.
@PooltoyWolf@sammydog01 it’s a specific mating season that probably varies with season/temp/region when we get to see them. Also from the article below there’s a lot of species overlap which may explain the slow build, then they all had an oregy and died. We def arent weird for watching. Nope
We don’t have fireflies in NW Oregon (or at least I’ve never seen them). So when we went to South Dakota to visit my wife’s family, our kids were fascinated by them and spent hours chasing around after them.
Of course, that also meant serious tick checks afterwards - something else we (thankfully) don’t have at home.
They used to be quite common in North to Central parts of Texas, at least. But now fairly rare here in the Central part. I think it’s the high heat and low humidity doing them in, not to mention the light pollution around populated areas.
I was fascinated by their chemical prowess in making their little fairy lights. Like others here, used to catch them and let them go, as a kid. And they are quite harmless to skin when held and they didn’t seem particularly intimidated by such, even though it monkey-wrenched their mating rites.
I love it when he does comics like this.
@yakkoTDI the sappyness is good.
https://xkcd.com/162/
Also. Those bugs are 100% trying to get laid.
Also
/image firefly starship
@unksol watching that right now!
@ybmuG I’m a leaf on the wind
@unksol @ybmuG WASH!!! That bit made me le sad!
Parents are in North Carolina this week and sent me pictures of the fireflies tonight. I wish we had them more commonly here in Central Florida.
@PooltoyWolf but… You get giant mosquitoes so…
@unksol I’d much prefer the light up bugs to the bloodsucking ones!
@PooltoyWolf @unksol We have lightning bugs generally around, some in my yard, but there are two spots near my house where the trees are completely full of them. Last time I went to watch they were gone, I’m not sure if it was the weather or they’re done for the season. It’s the best time of the year. And my neighbors probably think I’m standing in the street Michael Meyers style deciding when to murder them because not enough people appreciate bugs.
@PooltoyWolf @sammydog01 it’s a specific mating season that probably varies with season/temp/region when we get to see them. Also from the article below there’s a lot of species overlap which may explain the slow build, then they all had an oregy and died. We def arent weird for watching. Nope
Random other stuff if you want
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/11-cool-things-you-never-knew-about-fireflies/
@PooltoyWolf @unksol A lot of my neighbors are into serious light at night and I wish they would just turn them off. Poor confused bugs.
Have you ever watched leopard slugs mate? I didn’t know this was a thing until I saw them hanging off the back of the house. I couldn’t not watch.
@PooltoyWolf @sammydog01 @unksol It’s like some weird leopard slug pole dance, especially with the video background music.
We don’t have fireflies in NW Oregon (or at least I’ve never seen them). So when we went to South Dakota to visit my wife’s family, our kids were fascinated by them and spent hours chasing around after them.
Of course, that also meant serious tick checks afterwards - something else we (thankfully) don’t have at home.
@macromeh
/image fireflys in a jar
We always let them go after a day or two
@macromeh @unksol We used to catch them as kids in our yard or at the farm although we’d let them go in a couple of hours.
Never seen them in Utah. Or ever.
@blaineg Here ya go:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e0/FireFlies_short_video.webm/FireFlies_short_video.webm.360p.vp9.webm
They used to be quite common in North to Central parts of Texas, at least. But now fairly rare here in the Central part. I think it’s the high heat and low humidity doing them in, not to mention the light pollution around populated areas.
I was fascinated by their chemical prowess in making their little fairy lights. Like others here, used to catch them and let them go, as a kid. And they are quite harmless to skin when held and they didn’t seem particularly intimidated by such, even though it monkey-wrenched their mating rites.
@blaineg @phendrick maybe we were just helping some of the slower ones have a meet-cute :p