[thechat] Fireflys Was: Replacement of Marshmallows

[Luther, Ron]

Hi Sabrina,

Beetles actually -- not flies.

They are native in the US at least as far west as Minnesota.

Catch and release was always fun as a kid.

Young girls used to squoosh 'em and apply ... for a temporary
glow-in-the-dark makeover.

Today the really fun part (after watching a PBS special) is using a small
pen-light to mimic their flash timings and "call" them to you.  [Which is
really rather unfair since you are only calling the males by pretending
to be a receptive female.]

RonL.
(IIRC there were two species with two different flash timings.)


-----Original Message-----
From: Sabrina Dent, Apperception [mailto:sabrina.dent at appercept.co.uk]
> I'd really like to see fireflies.  We don't have them here in
> Oregon and I understand they are a wonder to behold.

I dunno about wonder. They're flies that glow in the dark, but unreliably.
You're not missing a whole lot.