A new Firefly Species was discovered

Last summer, TLC celebrated the Summer Solstice with a Firefly Hike.  Attendees learned many

fun Firefly Facts:

•  Fireflies are only rarely found west of Kansas
• Fireflies are not actually FLIES—they are Beetles!! “Flies” only have one pair of wings.
• Each species of firefly has a unique flashing pattern.
• Fireflies light up to:
  o   Attract Mates
  o   Avoid Predation 
•  Species within the Photuris genus mimic other species to attract dinner.   
• The females are carnivorous and will eat the males of other firefly species!

At one point during the hike at Stateline Woods Preserve, everyone stopped to observe the hundreds of fireflies as they lit up the sky to see how many different lighting patterns (and species they could count).  I think the grand total was 10!!  A big discussion was how difficult it must be to actually distinguish the various species by their lighting patterns.  Well--a new discovery was recently made by a Delaware professor about a new firefly species.  Read the interesting story HERE and be sure to join us for our Winter Solstice--Fireflies will be out of season, but we'll have something up our sleeve for a fun celebration!