Light pollution leading to firefly mating failures

February 10, 2020

Fireflies, the state insect of Indiana, are having difficulties reproducing because their flashing mating signals are getting lost in light pollution, according to new study.

Researchers from Tufts University and the International Union for Conservation of Nature said the problem could be one of the factors that eventually lead to the extinction of the firefly.

Fireflies use their glow to court mates, but light pollution, the brightening of the night sky by man-made sources, is making the glow harder for fireflies to see.

The research team found that fireflies also face habitat loss, habitat degradation from insecticides and chemical pollution.
“Some fireflies get hit especially hard when their habitat disappears because they need special conditions to complete their life cycle,” lead researcher Sara M. Lewis told the New York Times.

Light pollution leading to firefly mating failures

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