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Where is the glow?
PRINCE FREDERICKPRINCE FREDERICK
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They lit up gardens and added sparkle to woody areas at dusk. Where have the fireflies gone?
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Fireflies need leaf litter and rotting wood in their habitat.
ARMSTRONG RUBBED his eyes in disbelief when he saw "dots of light" dance around the trees on a pleasantly cold day last December, during a stroll. An artist and interior designer, he lets Nature decide the contours of his designs. "About six fireflies were flitting about in the dark. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I will use it in my work."
Armstrong can count himself lucky, for even naturalists have long despaired of sighting these bioluminescent insects in urban areas. Voice-over artiste Niladri Bose, who is into wildlife photography, cannot remember the last time he saw fireflies in the city. His dream of capturing them on film came true miles away from urbania. He was so stunned by their beauty that he hopes they will return to the city.
Twenty years ago, the "firefly flash" was not so uncommon. Those who grew up in city extensions during the 1980s or before would surely have seen the synchronised flashing of light by scores of fireflies. The presence of clumps of trees was a sure-fire attraction for these enchanting insects. They would venture out at dusk, often after a drizzle, and illuminate the low bushes with their light emission.
Nature-loving residents of such areas are missing these insects. They wonder: "Why have the fireflies disappeared?" Because of loss of woodlands and the consequent loss of leaf litter and absence of rotting wood.
"The firefly is at the apex of a subsidiary food pyramid that is built around the leaf litter. Insect larvae, terrestrial snails and earthworms subsist on the humus produced by fallen leaves and the firefly feeds on these soft-bodied life forms," says naturalist V. Guruswami.
Can one create an environment that supports fireflies in one's garden? One can try by following these steps. One, curb your fetish for cleanliness and leave the leaf litter alone. Two, as too much light will interfere with the luminous signals that fireflies use to locate mates, remove those bulbs overlooking your garden. Three, ensure that snails and earthworms slither around your yard. Four, since the fireflies seem to have fled urban areas en masse you may have to introduce a few of them as well.
Naturally, Guruswami is sceptical about the idea. "In a small and constricted environment that a private garden generally is, the fireflies may not be able to compete successfully with other creatures that feed on snails and earthworms. But you can give it a try. The fireflies may prove me wrong."
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FLASH facts
Fireflies primarily flash to find a mate. Male fireflies flash green signals in response to light flashes from earthbound female fireflies.
Fireflies emit `cold light' as 96 per cent of it is put to good use and only four per cent is wasted as heat. In contrast, 90 per cent of the light from an incandescent light bulb is wasted as heat.
Fireflies have femme fatales as well. Certain female fireflies mimic the signals of those from another species, attract the males and have a yummy meal.
Fireflies give out light to scare off predators. The flash is also supposed to send the signal that a firefly will make a distasteful meal.
Fireflies derive their light-emitting ability from a chemical reaction involving luciferin, luciferase, adenosine triphosphate and oxygen.
Fireflies are not flies, but beetles belonging to the family Lampyridae.
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