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Wherever there are fireflies, there re going to be mosquitoes aplenty. They re both insects that require a similar wet breeding habitat. Fireflies are technically flying beetles (coleoptera), and there are about 2,000 species of them in the world, so probably dozens of species in the USA. But most are probably rare or of limited range and not likely to be encountered.
Some species of fireflies synchronize their flashing, so all of them present in a habitat will light up at the same time. This occurs at Elkmont, near Gatlinburg Tennessee, and in the Congaree National Park in South Carolina.
Someone once told that generally, you don't see fireflies (or as we say in my family, "lightning bugs") west of Kansas. I found that to be true. I've seen them in TN, MO, SC, GA and even in Florida (panhandle). They need humidity, lots of moisture/water and woods.
I think that's accurate. I grew up in Kansas City, where there were billions of them. But none here in Denver. I read an article a couple years ago that said there were certain areas of far eastern Colorado out on the plains where you could find them, so about the KS/CO border on east is where they are. Maybe they only live in humidity?
"Fireflies love humid, warm environments. In the U.S., almost no species of fireflies are found west of Kansas—although there are also warm and humid areas to the west. Nobody is sure why this is. There are many species of fireflies throughout the world, and the most diversity in species is found in tropical Asia as well as Central and South America."
That's not the answer I was looking for lol! My kids are dying to see fireflies. Maybe we'll have to take a drive east one evening this summer.
There are fireflies where I live. They're out the most towards the end of summer, at dusk. I used to catch them when I was a kid and put them in a jar. I always wanted to keep them but every morning after I'd caught them I'd find them dead in the jar. In hindsight I feel bad for killing them but at the time I really didn't realize. I'd put grass and twigs in there so they could feel at home. Oh, youth.
There are fireflies where I live. They're out the most towards the end of summer, at dusk. I used to catch them when I was a kid and put them in a jar. I always wanted to keep them but every morning after I'd caught them I'd find them dead in the jar. In hindsight I feel bad for killing them but at the time I really didn't realize. I'd put grass and twigs in there so they could feel at home. Oh, youth.
Haha, same here . We also used to keep catterpillers in jars to watch cocoon and bloom.
Haha, same here . We also used to keep catterpillers in jars to watch cocoon and bloom.
I was so mesmerized by lighting bugs I'd want to catch them in jars and watch them all night. Unfortunately, I killed off a good population of them near my house, I presume.
They don't have lightning bugs in Southern California at least, because one time I mentioned them to my Orange County friend in passing and she had no idea what they were. Once I described them, she'd heard of them and had likely seen them on TV or in a movie or something, but they don't have them where she lives. I kind of can't imagine a summer night without them.
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. We also used to keep catterpillers in jars to watch cocoon and bloom.
