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Spotlight on the Blue Ghost Firefly

  • Writer: HYUN SIM
    HYUN SIM
  • Jan 3
  • 2 min read

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The Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis Reticulata) is a rare and unique species. Fireflies are already interesting because they emit light from their abdomens to communicate. What sets this species apart is the bluish-green light that it emits. It grows to around 6-9 mm and is brown-colored (Wikipedia).

The males gain their elytra when they reach maturity, but the females never get their elytra and crawl over the ground and on foliage.

The Females look like this:

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Both genders are able to emit their eerie light. The point of this dazzling performance is to mate. Males will only fly a few feet above the ground to spot females crawling on the foliage and plants (White Squirrel Institute). Instead of using flashing lights to communicate and seek mates, this species will glow for up to a minute to seek a mate. Once landing, they will glow a pattern, and if the mate repeats it then they will mate and lay eggs (White Squirrel Institute). They lay around 20-30 eggs, the female protects these eggs until death which is around 2 weeks. The eggs will then hatch 4-5 weeks after the mother dies (Wikipedia).

The larvae are large eaters, capable of eating prey larger than them. Their diet includes worms, snails, and slugs (Nature For My Soul). The adults though, don't feed until death. Their only purpose is to mate and protect the eggs (Nature For My Soul).

This performance is very rare as it only occurs during mating season. The mating season occurs in late spring or early summer (Discovery). It only displays its lights for 2-4 weeks in a year (Discovery).

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It dwells in dark, leaf litter-ridden areas which are two components required for the thriving of this species (Nature For My Soul). It also can be found near water or along dry and high ridges (Wikipedia). It can be found only in very specific places. The only two known areas are the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

This species is extremely rare and unique which means it is legendary among various industries. Touring, Entomology, Biology, and even Medicine are all industries that this species can have great popularity in.

With such eerie displays, there is an eerie story behind it. The reason the ghost is in their name is because of the superstition that they are the souls of Confederate soldiers killed in battle because many lost their lives in the area in which this species dwells (Discovery). But this is only an Appalachian legend, Right?


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