this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
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fireflies (mander.xyz)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
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[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 day ago (14 children)

Are fireflies common in the US? Living in Europe, I've never seen any...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 23 hours ago

European here, stopped seeing them at the end of 90s, before they were so common, even in city

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod 2 points 21 hours ago

I used to have a rural property that bordered on a nature preserve. There were so many fireflies you could walk through the forest on a moonless night without a flashlight.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They were when I was a kid. I haven’t seen them in a long time now though :(

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Flying insects in general. When I was a kid I remember so many people's cars being absolutely caked with dead bugs. It's not something I see anymore.

[–] Bazoogle 2 points 1 day ago

Obviously this is anecdotal, but if I do a road trip in the summer, I have to clean off my windshield every stop for gas because it's so bad. In the winter, definitely not.

[–] edg 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Each summer evening, from dusk till about an hour after sunset, my yard is full of them. By late afternoon, if you look along and underside of folliage adjacent to open areas you can find them ready for the evening. They have a little dance, the steps of which aren't followed too closely. Let's see if I can remember it. They stay about 40 cm of the ground and fly up to about 2 meters up. After reaching the apex of their flight they flash their butts, and then proceed downward and slightly forward in a jerking stair-step pattern. The entire time flashing a repeated sequence of flashes the same color as a yellow glow stick. They so this from late spring through summer.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago

I saw so many growing up in Appalachia!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Depends on the area, the US is big. It's been a while since I've been but some areas of Ohio had tons of them every night. I've never seen any in the Pacific northwest though. But even that's a pretty broad region could be some around here I don't know about

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

I've seen them in the mountains or more wild areas multiple times, both in eastern and western Europe. You have to be outside during the night so most likely camping.

[–] CaptainBlagbird 6 points 1 day ago

I'm from Switzerland and I've seen them here once. They weren't flying though, only sitting next to a foot path. At first I thought they were just some green/yellow LEDs.

[–] Shellbeach 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Awww, that's sad! There are plenty here in the region in Italy.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

ok moving to Italy right now

[–] RebekahWSD 3 points 1 day ago

Extremely common here in NJ. I mean less so because exactly what this comic shows. It's why I don't rake leaves and leave them under the hedges. Not because I'm lazy.

[–] 5too 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

See some still in Kansas. My grandparents in Wichita used to have tons of them about 35 years ago; not as many now. Right time of year you'll still generally see 2-5 at a time in our yard.

[–] finitebanjo 2 points 1 day ago

Yeah in the warmer regions of North America and I think across the pacific as well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yup! I live in Pennsylvania & I see loads of them every summer.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Only time I’ve seen them was in the suburbs around Chicago.