It's a right of passage in Iowa: Stepping out into your backyard to see fireflies lighting up the night sky. There are more than 170 species of glowing insects known as Lampyridae in North America.

MISSOURI, USA — Lights in the Midwest's summer nights have grown dimmer over the past decades. The glowing flicks of fireflies, or lightning bugs, trigger nostalgia and deeply held childhood memories ...

It’s not easy counting fireflies. Across North America, there are an estimated 170 fireflies species, which are technically beetles in the order Coleoptera, but inventorying them is a challenge. While ...

No doubt over the years you’ve spotted a few fireflies lighting up your backyard. Or seen a swarm of them, sometimes called a “sparkle,” on your way back from a walk in the woods. Fireflies — or ...

It looks like a scene from a fairytale. Over the past few decades, firefly population have been declining due to factors like light pollution, pesticides, and habitat loss. Now there's a ray of hope: ...

KELLETTVILLE, Pa. ― Every year in late June, Peggy Butler and her husband, Ken, welcome visitors to rural northwestern Pennsylvania for the chance to glimpse the rare and beguiling Photinus carolinus.

It’s an age-old debate that divides families, friends, states and nations: Lightning bugs or fireflies? You chased them as a kid, captured them in your hands. Maybe even put them in jars for an hour ...

You might be wondering if fireflies and lightning bugs are the same or different. It is a topic that has sparked debate, yet the reality is that they are the same insect. In fact, these creatures are ...

Becky Nichols, the park’s long-time entomologist, has dedicated her career to learning about and protecting lifeforms like bees, wasps, moths, and butterflies.

Whether you call them fireflies or lightning bugs, the glowing insects are headed to Pennsylvania. Some may have even been spotted early, shining yellow and green in backyards just after dark. MORE ...