2018 Firefly Festival at High Bridge Trail State Park in Farmville (Photo by Katrina Gonzales)
Something you should do if you’re a Richmonder, Ralph White says, is make your way to The Wetlands, on the east side of Pony Pasture, in mid to late June to see nature put on a light show. The former James River Park System superintendent shared this tip during a recent interview about his life as a retiree — he wants to let others in on one of his favorite experiences. “Bring your child or loved one down at 9 or 9:30 at night,” he adds (see “Firefly Watch” below). “[There are] six or seven different species, and they all have different colors and flight patterns and flash patterns. It’s a fascinating thing to see.”
Big Dipper, aka Photinus pyralis (Photo courtesy Arthur Evans)
Disappearing Act?
Do an online search for fireflies, and you’ll see headlines such as “Firefly Populations Are Blinking Out” and “What’s Happening to the Fireflies?” But from entomologist Arthur Evans’ perspective as a resident of Richmond’s Bellevue neighborhood, they’re doing just fine. Immaculately groomed lawns are not ideal for the insects, he says. “You need leaf litter under shrubs and trees — that’s where the larvae live, and that’s where their food lives. They feed on slugs and beetle larvae.” Too much light at night can also be a problem, because it disrupts fireflies’ communication, Evans adds.
The “Big Dipper” communicates with a J-shaped flash pattern. (Illustration via Scholastic Science World)
The Big Dipper
While there are about 30 species of fireflies around Virginia, and perhaps a dozen in Richmond, the most widespread is Photinus pyralis, better known as the big dipper. “The males have a looping flight, and the flash pattern looks like a J — as they descend, the flash gets brighter and more intense until they get to the bottom of their descent,” says Evans, an independent researcher and co-host of the radio show “What’s Bugging You” on WCVE. “As they start to go up, there’s a little flash of light, and then it goes off. You’ll see them flying along hedgerows and looking for a female to respond. They’re out just before it’s dark.”
Winter firefly, aka Ellychnia corrusca (Photo courtesy Arthur Evans)
Firefly Watch
The James River Park System offers free, guided Firefly Forays at The Wetlands on June 28 and 29 from 9 to 10:30 p.m., starting from the end of Landria Drive. Guests are encouraged to bring a chair or picnic blanket. The annual Firefly Festival at High Bridge Trail State Park in Farmville takes place June 7-8 from 9 to 11 p.m. at the Appomattox River overlook. (The image at the top of this page was taken during last year’s festival by Virginia Beach resident Katrina Gonzales using a long exposure as part of a photo contest through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.)
