Log in

View Full Version : fireflies or lightening bugs?


Oregonrain
06-01-2014, 12:23 PM
Are there any fireflies or lightening bugs over there? I'm hoping to see some when we come over the 4th of July.

Lakegeezer
06-01-2014, 02:10 PM
We see some every year, but nothing like the evening shows I've seen in other parts of the country.

RLW
06-01-2014, 07:09 PM
Same here, they do not seem to be very plentiful here on Alton Mountain at least in our area and haven't been the past several years (4 to 5).:)

Misha888
06-01-2014, 10:05 PM
we have seen the population grow. Nothing like PA amounts. But they're nice nonetheless. I don't remember what month they're prevalent. I'm thinking Aug when it is hot.

Enjoy your trip.

tis
06-02-2014, 06:18 AM
Did we also call them June bugs when we were kids? I had forgotten about watching them light up the sky. If they are the same thing, it seems like we had a lot more when we were kids.

Oregonrain
06-02-2014, 11:14 AM
June bugs are beetles. As taken from Wikipedia:

June bug or Junebug may refer to:

Beetles:

Phyllophaga (genus), a genus of beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae of the family Scarabaeidae, also known as June bugs or June beetles
The Green June beetle (Cotinis nitida), of the southeastern United States
The Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata), of the western United States and Canada
The Figeater beetle (Cotinis mutabilis), of the western and southwestern United States
The European chafer (Rhizotrogus majalis/Amphimallon majalis), a beetle native to continental Europe, but now also in North America

tis
06-02-2014, 12:09 PM
June bugs are beetles. As taken from Wikipedia:

June bug or Junebug may refer to:

Beetles:

Phyllophaga (genus), a genus of beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae of the family Scarabaeidae, also known as June bugs or June beetles
The Green June beetle (Cotinis nitida), of the southeastern United States
The Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata), of the western United States and Canada
The Figeater beetle (Cotinis mutabilis), of the western and southwestern United States
The European chafer (Rhizotrogus majalis/Amphimallon majalis), a beetle native to continental Europe, but now also in North America

Do they light up?

jmen24
06-02-2014, 12:15 PM
Do they light up?

No, they fly around with reckless abandon anytime you turn on a light!

That will include your face if you are standing on a dark deck with an outside light that illuminates the skin on your face, but not the area around you. It is quite an experience considering it feels like someone just threw a penny at you, then you feel this huge beetle in your fingers!

Good times!

tis
06-02-2014, 12:18 PM
No, they fly around with reckless abandon anytime you turn on a light!

That will include your face if you are standing on a dark deck with an outside light that illuminates the skin on your face, but not the area around you. It is quite an experience considering it feels like someone just threw a penny at you, then you feel this huge beetle in your fingers!

Good times!

LOL! Then what do I remember that we liked as kids that lit up? Maybe it was just so long ago, I am getting confused but I am sure that something lit up and we loved to watch them. Now I am really curious!!

Barney Bear
06-02-2014, 08:24 PM
We occasionally see a few fireflies in the woods behind our cottage on East Bear Island. Growing up in Indiana, we would see thousands of lightning bugs flying over the fields in the countryside. Our car's windshield would glow in many spots where these bugs would meet their demise.

Moccasin
06-03-2014, 12:24 PM
They light up the fields when they are looking for a mate, timed to when the grasses mature and go to seed. One memorable year, just past dusk - my kids and I saw them lighting up the sides of the road on Rte 109 between the highway and Meredith. It was enchanting. I hope you see them this year!:)

Here's a link to a Firefly page http://www.firefly.org/firefly-habitat.html

tis
07-06-2014, 07:05 AM
I thought you might like to read this from WMUR, Oregon:

http://www.wmur.com/escape-outside/this-summer-to-be-quite-good-for-firefly-viewing-observers-say/26762948#!9hWFW

upthesaukee
07-06-2014, 10:37 AM
We have had some flying around our house for the past 3 or 4 days.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk