Ep. 92 Fireflies: The Secret World of the Silent Spark

For me, the nostalgic draw of fireflies (which I call lightening bugs) is overwhelming. I remember waiting until dusk to see these amazing creatures take flight, tangible and twinkling, as if the night sky had come down to earth. Their bioluminescence has always captivated me. Luckily Dr. Sara Lewis, the world's foremost firefly expert, is here to explain these very curious creatures. As larva, they are voracious eaters, and alarmingly efficient hunters. As adults, are light producing sex machines. In the pupae stage, they kind of just hang around. We analyze their life cycle in detail, and in the process we discuss Earthworm Smoothies, Umwelt, and Post Copulatory Sexual Selection.