There are many abiotic factors that play into when fireflies emerge from the forest floor – things such as soil temperature and moisture, rainfall, ambient air temperature, etc. How do you predict the dates of the event? What conditions are you monitoring to predict the “peak” time to see fireflies at the mountain? The most common species seen during the Grandfather Glows event are the synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus), blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata), variable triple flash fireflies (Photuris versicolor) and glowworms (Orfelia fultoni). We have confirmed 10 different species of fireflies on Grandfather Mountain ( read more). What bioluminescent insects can potentially be seen at Grandfather during the event? The best time to observe fireflies is when they are at the peak of their mating period. Adult fireflies only live for a couple weeks, and their sole focus is to mate and lay eggs for the next generation of fireflies. Depending on the species, the firefly larvae may stay in the leaf litter for a couple of years until they mature and metamorphose into adults. What occurs during Grandfather Glows? Why is that THE time to observe the fireflies?Įach year, different species of fireflies emerge from the forest floor in order to find mates. Here’s a look into the process of trying to predict this natural phenomenon with Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Director of Conservation and Education John Caveny.

Lightning bugs endangered