It’s the season for spotting fireflies in some parts of the US, especially in the humid or damp areas that the winged beetles love. For fireflies themselves, it’s a season of love. They create these soft flashes of light as they search for a suitable mate. The glow is produced by a chemical reaction in a firefly’s abdomen. In addition to attracting a partner, the light is believed to deter potential predators by signaling that the insect’s chemical makeup may produce a foul taste or even be toxic. The fireflies in our homepage image were photographed with a long exposure in the Philippines, where fireflies are a popular tourist attraction. Some firefly species here and in other parts of Southeast Asia are known for their synchronized flashing, creating dramatic light shows in the dark.
A summertime light show
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
World Lizard Day
-
International Surfing Day
-
Canadian Thanksgiving
-
Can you see the family resemblance?
-
World Population Day
-
Wanderin Wawayanda
-
A universe underground
-
Lizard of mystery
-
Happy New Year! (Again!)
-
Spreadsheet Day
-
The Sonoran Desert, Arizona
-
World Theatre Day
-
Porto Flavia, Sardinia, Italy
-
Kissing Day
-
Kochelsee in Bavaria
-
World Bicycle Day
-
Lands End, Cornwall, England
-
Black bear cub emerging into spring
-
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
-
Anniversary of the British Museum
-
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
-
Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
-
Goðafoss waterfall, Iceland
-
Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
-
Going head-to-head with winter
-
Aerial view of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico
-
Kjell Henriksen Observatory
-
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
-
Mountain mists over Bavaria
-
Celebrating Pi Day