Firefly (Kalamediriya)

“The Lampyridae are a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera with more than 2,000 described species. They are soft-bodied beetles that are commonly called fireflies, glowworms, or lightning bugs for their conspicuous use of bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a “cold light”, with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies.”[1]

There is very little research on fireflies in Sri Lanka. For research on diversity and regional abundance of fireflies in Sri Lanka see in website Distribution, Diversity and Relative Abundance of Fireflies (Coleoptera; Lampyridae) in Three Habitat Types in Sri Lanka

A Quick Observation: When we peep out of the window into the dark, our hearts fill up. It is a rare treat — yes, it is a rare treat especially for city dwellers. For a minute we feel as if stars are falling down from the sky. The movements in many directions tell us we are mistaken. Tiny lights that appear and disappear, moving in all directions tell us they are more than stars!! They are superstars!! Yes, they are wonders of nature!! These are male fireflies blinking around (scientifically known as bioluminescence) trying to attract a partner.

Urbanization and light pollution have wiped them out from many urban areas. We are happy they’ve settled down with us. We took just two photographs using the flash light to show you how a firefly looks like. The rest we took in darkness without disturbing them with the flashlight of the camera.

[1] — Firefly — Wikipedia