Synchronized Fireflies

In the Night Lights post I noted that we were are the Black Caddis Ranch, aka Camp Fossil Creek, to see Synchronized Fireflies, Photinus carolinus.

And see them we did.

Before the rains came that first night, we went into the woods and were treated to "The Light Show", which is also a common name for this species. But it was the second night that was truly magical.

These are two shots from that second night.

Each image is a composite of the full set of flashes.

Synchronized Fireflies are found in wooded areas of the Application Mountain Range. Probably the most famous area is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Patty had gone there, with two friends, not long after we started dating. These days you need to win a lottery to see them there.

Luckily for us, there is a population of this species in the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania (and over the boarder into southwestern New York).

These insects, like all lightning bugs, use flashes to attract mates*. This species flashes in unison, five or six flashes, and then they all go dark. And then six or so seconds later, they all start up again. It is truly wondrous to see the woods go dark and the night up again. We stood there for over an hour enthralled.

Meanwhile back at the field, different species were continuing the dance of life.

You can see some flashes are different shades of green and yellow.

And it is a bit more subtle, but the flash pattern is different, different number of flashes or one long flash.

I can't wait to go back.

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* There are species that use flashes to obtain food. They mimic the flashes of other species, attracting the males, who to their unfortunate surprise, find not a waiting female but rather a predator.