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------=_NextPar --Boundary_(ID_NsDgflZmvRl1uRJSBA0Jkw) Content-type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Mary, It is possible that you have two different species, because the =20 various species have different flashing- and flying signals. Some =20 glow while flying upwards, and some just blink. The females, which look partially developed and somewhat grub-like, =20 lie in the grass giving off faint glow, to signal the males of their =20 presence. There is also a species of female who sends false signals =20 to attract males of other species, and then grabs and devours them =20 when they land. And there is even more! Some years ago, I was trying to photograph lightning bugs, and saw =20 what appeared to be such a glowing female, and then noticed a male's =20 soft light as he descended to meet her. I was eager to record the =20 courtship, and threw myself on the ground, frantically adjusting =20 camera and flash in order to catch the moment. I focused so quickly =20 that I did not really take time to watch what was going on. When my film was developed, I was amazed to find, instead of =20 courtship, simple predation =97 but in this case a large-species male =20= was chewing up a male of a smaller species. Somewhere I have the =20 picture. I have never read of male lightning bugs luring other males, =20= but this is apparently what I have recorded, on film somewhere. =97 Paul On Jul 15, 2008, at 8:12 AM, Mary Macaulay wrote: > We have lovely fireflies up at our fen at Angevine Lake Cumberland =20 > County. the first ones that come out (they emerged about a month =20 > ago) were flying and flashing very high up in the trees. About two =20= > weeks ago another lot emerged floating about at ground level and =20 > slighly above. > M > > > > From: roland.mccormick@ns.sympatico.ca > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Fireflies > Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:14:01 -0300 > > > Fireflies? > Sixty years ago in Bear River we had hundreds, if not =20 > thousands of them on the marshes at the head of the tide. Those same =20= > marshes were full of peepers, and you could hear them from far away. =20= > I have often wished I could go back to that country early in the =20 > spring and see if any where still there - I doubt they would be that =20= > plentiful now. > > Roland. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Christopher Majka > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 4:38 PM > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Fireflies > > Hi John, > > On 13-Jul-08, at 1:46 PM, John Sollows wrote: > > When I was but a youngster (let's say, up till about 1970) fireflies =20= > in the summer were commonplace, here in the Yarmouth area. It has =20 > been years since I have seen one. > > Well, one was flashing in the grass about ten days ago here on the =20 > Wyman Road, and I have heard another report from a youngster who was =20= > wondering what he had seen. > > This summer is foggier than many in recent years; I am calling it a =20= > "'60's summer." > > Hmm ... I wonder if our fireflies like high humidity. > > In my experience fireflies do like humid conditions. Many species =20 > live near cattail marshes or in low wet pastures. In Nova Scotia we =20= > have three species in the genus Pyractomena that specialize in =20 > feeding on snails, and three species in the genus Photinus, that =20 > specialize in feeding on earthworms. I would suppose that moist =20 > conditions favour both snails and earthworms, and hence of these =20 > firefly larvae that feed on them. > > Cheers! > > Chris > > Christopher Majka > Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada =20 > B3H 3A6 > c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca > > > > --Boundary_(ID_NsDgflZmvRl1uRJSBA0Jkw) Content-type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Mary,<div><br></div><div>It is = possible that you have two different species, because the various = species have different flashing- and flying signals. Some glow = while flying upwards, and some just blink.</div><div><br></div><div>The = females, which look partially developed and somewhat grub-like, lie in = the grass giving off faint glow, to signal the males of their presence. = There is also a species of female who sends false signals to = attract males of other species, and then grabs and devours them when = they land. And there is even more!</div><div><br></div><div>Some = years ago, I was trying to photograph lightning bugs, and saw what = appeared to be such a glowing female, and then noticed a male's soft = light as he descended to meet her. I was eager to record the = courtship, and threw myself on the ground, frantically adjusting camera = and flash in order to catch the moment. I focused so quickly that = I did not really take time to watch what was going = on.</div><div><br></div><div>When my film was developed, I was amazed to = find, instead of courtship, simple predation =97 but in this case a = large-species male was chewing up a male of a smaller species. = Somewhere I have the picture. I have never read of male = lightning bugs luring other males, but this is apparently what I have = recorded, on film somewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>=97 = Paul</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Jul 15, 2008, at 8:12 AM, = Mary Macaulay wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; = font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; = line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div class=3D"hmmessage" = style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; ">We have lovely = fireflies up at our fen at Angevine Lake Cumberland County. the = first ones that come out (they emerged about a month ago) were flying = and flashing very high up in the trees. About two weeks ago = another lot emerged floating about at ground level and slighly = above.<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>M<br><br><br><hr><br>From= :<sp