Firefly Visitor
 

While watching the beautiful near-full moon rise from our place on East Bear Island this evening, a firefly [we called it a lightning bug back home in Indiana] flew past us, flashing a bright yellow greeting. ⚡️

One of the true harbingers of mid-summer!

We discovered just last evening that the gully behind us comes alive with fireflies--more than we've seen in years!

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Lightning bugs
 

I've seen more of them this year than the past ten years combined. As a kid growing up in PA, we had tons of them and used to catch them and put them in a jar for the night.
I wonder if they have a natural cycle where they are more plentiful certain years.

Same thing up here in Gunstock Acres. More in one night than we've seen in entire past years. Anyone know why?

After my exhaustive ( 5 minute ) investigation on Google, firefly populations worldwide are decreasing. The "usual suspects" toxic chemicals, loss of habitat are a factor as is a more unusual one. Their lighting is part of the mating ritual which can be interfered with by light pollution.

Not really an explanation of the observation of a possible good supply this year, but interesting.

Years ago when we were in Melvin Village there was a path through the woods coming back from the beach. The kids called it the buggy path and would run through as fast as they could because of mosquitoes. What I never realized until my daughter took me down it one night was that in addition to the mosquitoes it was flooded with fireflies. It was truly surreal to walk through instead of running although there was much itching the next day.