Fireflies are to me one of the glorious wonders of God’s creation. Though I have known of their existence in early childhood, I grew up in a town, now a city, thus, had no early personal encounters with these creatures. But there is something exotic and unique about a beetle (family, Lampyridae) that fascinates most humans with their light-emitting capability.

Also known as lightning bugs, fireflies are found in all continents except Antarctica, and prefer wet habitats like meadows, gardens and woodland edges. Their light emission is called bioluminescence, a “cold light” produced through a chemical reaction in the abdomen through a substance, luciferin, and an enzyme. This light emission is an attraction for the opposite sex. If a female is attracted to a light-flashing male, it emits its own light to attract the male.

The first time I encountered fireflies was over 20 years ago when we moved into our current home in Quezon City. Driving home one night, there were a light fog over the streets and schools of fireflies hovering over the grasses in vacant lots. It was to me, so magical, yet so ephemeral. But over the years, as more and more houses were built in the village, the fireflies almost disappeared. Obviously, their habitat has been mostly destroyed by the construction of new houses and the regular trimming of vacant lots that keeps the grasses low.

But every few months, as in last night, when I turned off the lights in our bedroom, we see a lone firefly dancing in the dark over our bed. This time, there were two flashing lights instead of the solitary one. I took a video of the firefly flitting around our bedroom ceiling and sent it to our pre-med chat group. A classmate, Rey, messaged back thanking me for sharing the video and inspired by Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65, “How in this Darkness can Truth (or Virtue) hold a plea, when its light is as feeble as a firefly’s.”

He then said, “Can you imagine how it might have been to have exactly 100 fireflies flitting and fluttering over your pitch-black bedroom on the first night of your honeymoon?”

The next day, when our classmates met as a routine catch up, he told me that it was what he exactly did on their wedding night. Caught a hundred fireflies in a bottle and released them on turning off the light. What a hopeless romantic! But I’m sure his bride was just as ecstatic over this beautiful love offering. I imagine my video would have stirred good memories of times past especially now that he has been recently widowed.

But back to the question why fireflies are disappearing. They’re threatened by many factors, mostly caused by humans (what else is new?). When human development starts, all wildlife suffer, and the firefly is more sensitive than many. The clearing of forests, meadows, grasslands and riverbanks are a major threat to fireflies.

They can survive in smaller numbers but light pollution from homes and cities disrupt their ability to communicate and find mates. Their delicate light flashes are no match to our fluorescent, incandescent and LED lights that blaze brightly drowning out all other light sources.

Widespread pesticide and insecticide use kill fireflies directly and their food sources. Think about how fogging, ostensibly for mosquito control (which isn’t really effective) can kill fireflies, their larvae as well as their food sources like snails and slugs.

Lastly, climate change negatively impacts fireflies with changes in temperature and weather patterns disrupting their life cycles.

All these threats are man-made. Therefore, man should also provide the solutions. Fireflies are considered an indicator species for the environment. A drop in the firefly population means a less than healthy ecosystem. They are highly sensitive to environmental changes, highly impacted by pollution, whether light, water or pesticide use. Their complex life cycles have different stages with larvae living and developing in water and land while the adults are airborne.

What can we do? Reducing outdoor lighting is the first step. Leave some tall grasses for them to live in. Don’t use pesticides, leave dried leaves in their areas, and provide microenvironments for them.

One practical solution is establishing firefly sanctuaries. Even small areas or parks will do. The main requirements are darkness, a water feature, river, lake or pond, a moisture-rich environment and plenty of native vegetation. Then watch fireflies come back in numbers that will surely delight your senses. Let us experience the magic of fireflies again. I will definitely give it a try in our village park.

Then perhaps, someone like Rey will be inspired once more to delight the love of his life with a hundred fireflies on their honeymoon.