FIREFLY

I learnt some interesting facts about fireflies in Singapore:

• there are more than 10 species and they can be found in several habitats, such as mangroves, secondary forests etc
• of this, there are at least 5 new species not recorded
• more than 1 species can occur in a single habitat
• usually they are higher in diversity but low in numbers or higher in numbers but low in diversity in these habitats
• the fireflies here do not blink in synchrony or unison unlike those found elsewhere
• the males have 2 lanterns while the female have only 1 lantern on their underside of the abdomen nearer the tail end
• their life cycle is up to about 6 months (longer than butterflies!) and they go through the same stages as butterflies e.g. eggs, larvae, pupae, adults, and the adult stage is only about a month or two
• the carnivorous larvae feeds on snails whilst the adults feed on plant nectar and pollen
• the larvae are found more inlands in pools of water whereas the adults are found nearer the coast
• the light emission serves as a warning against predators not to feed on them because they are distasteful or contain toxins but it is also evolved for mating purposes

This is a huge lesson and I have a profound respect for such small creatures. Links on fireflies are shown below:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly
2. http://www.firefly.org/firefly-habitat.html