As bothersome as Iowa’s humidity can be, it allows “nature’s fireworks” to thrive. Lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, need a certain amount of humidity or they would dry up in the hot summer sun. Given the abundance of rain that has been inundating the state, Iowa is well on its way to a humid […]
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Tag: lightning bugs
What to feed fireflies
Many young Iowans, and others, have spent time catching lightning bugs during steamy summer nights. Also known as fireflies, lightning bugs are among the insects that fascinate young and old alike. Like many of our beloved creatures in recent decades, firefly populations appear on the decline, due to pesticide use, loss of habitat and other […]
What do lightning bugs eat?
Summer is still, officially, several days away, but summer insects already have been active. Lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, are among the insects that fascinate young and old alike. Several years ago, I attended a Winter Gardening Fair in which entomologist Donald Lewis answered some of my burning questions regarding this beneficial beetle. Lewis […]