• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Animals / Why do Fireflies and Lightning Bugs Glow in the Dark and what causes it?

Why do Fireflies and Lightning Bugs Glow in the Dark and what causes it?

April 11, 2020 by Karen Hill

Fireflies glow in the dark to attract mates. Males fly around flashing the world in a pattern of dots and dashes that is very specific to their species.

Female fireflies wait until a male flying nearby flashes the correct signal for their species, and in return, she flashes him with her own light. They meet and create beautiful luminescence together.

Light production in fireflies or lightning bugs is due to a type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence. This process takes place in specialised light-emitting organs, usually on a firefly’s lower abdomen or belly. Enzymes, in the presence of magnesium ions and oxygen produce light.

The enzyme is also useful in the medical industry.

The females of some firefly species prey on the males of other species. They lure the males by imitating the mating signals of the other species.

A oblivious suitor flying too close gets eaten.

Related Facts

  • What Chemical Causes a Lightning Bug To Glow and What Is the Chemical Reaction Called?
  • How do fireflies flash and What causes the luminescence to occur?
  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • How Do Brita Water Filters Work and Do They Remove Fluoride From the Water?
  • How do toy manufacturers make glow in the dark toys like Frisbees and yo-yos?
  • What is the Difference between Soft Water and Hard Water?

Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Do Earthworms have Eyes and can they See, or are they as Blind as a Bat?
Next Post: How Are Glowworms Related to Fireflies and What is the Difference Between the Two? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy