Nothing says summer more than sitting around the campfire on a warm night and seeing hundreds of little fireflies light up the sky. Have you ever seen these little creatures and wondered what makes them light up? Today at Camp Edvotek we are going to be explaining just that. Stay tuned at the end for a fun firefly activity.
What are Fireflies?
Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are a fascinating and enchanting insect species that belongs to the Lampyridae family. Despite their name, fireflies are neither flies nor bugs as commonly perceived by the general public, but rather they belong to the order Coleoptera, making them a class of soft-bodied beetles. Fireflies can be found across North America, with the most populous areas containing the most diverse species being the eastern part of the country. What sets them apart from other organisms is their ability to produce light, which is a relatively rare phenomenon for a land organism to possess. This ability is known as bioluminescence. Fireflies use their light to communicate with each other, with each species having its own unique pattern and rhythm.
What Makes Fireflies Light Up?
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. In fireflies, light is produced through a chemical reaction in special organs in their abdomen. The cells in these organs contain the light producing molecule luciferin. When luciferin combined with the enzyme luciferase in the prescent of ATP and oxygen, luciferin is oxidized. The oxidation of luciferin is what produces light as well as creating a new, inactive molecule called oxyluciferin. It is believed that fireflies are able to turn on and off their light production by regulating the amount of oxygen present in the light organ. When there is no oxygen present, the reaction cannot occur meaning no light is produced. This is what attributes to the blinking pattern seen by fireflies. Bioluminescent organisms produce light in a wide variety of colors ranging from blue, to green, to red; in fireflies this light is yellow. What attributes to the color seen is the arrangement of the luciferin molecules within the organism. Bioluminescence is known as a “cold light”. This means that less than 20% of the light generates thermal radiation meaning that very little heat is produced. This is important as to maintain the internal temperature of the organism preventing them from overheating.
Fun Firefly Activities
Firefly Jars
Create your very own glowing firefly jars without the need to capture actual fireflies. All you will need is scissors, a mason jar, and a glow stick.
- Carefully cut the top off of the glow stick being careful not to spill the liquid
- Tip the glow stick over into the mason jar
- Tap the glow stick around the sides of the mason jar creating spots around the sides
- Seal the jar with the lid and take your firefly jar outside at night to watch it glow
Firefly Ice Cubes
Did you know you could make your very own glowing ice cubes? Tonic water contains a an ingredient called quinine that when found in small quantities is safe to drink. The interesting thing about this is that when shined under a black light, the tonic water glows. To make your own glowing firefly ice cubes all you’ll need is tonic water and a black light. Freeze the tonic water in an ice cube mold of your choice (bonus points if it is firefly shaped) and once frozen add to a clear drink of your choice. Shine the black light on it and watch the ice cubes in your drink light up like the fireflies in the night sky!
Make sure to share your results with us throughout this Camp Edvotek summer by tagging us on Instagram, Facebook, or X! Stay tuned for more Camp Edvotek activities all summer long! Check out our Summer Camp Guide to earn badges and complete fun activities and experiments.
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