The Lightning Bugs Are Back This Year -- But Will This Be Their Curtain Call? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 10, 2025 · 20 MIN

The Lightning Bugs Are Back This Year -- But Will This Be Their Curtain Call?

from The Block Club Chicago Podcast · host Mack Liederman, Jon Hansen, Block Club Chicago

Swarms of flying insects are usually a nuisance. But this summer, Chicagoans are lighting up for a big return of lightning bugs.The flying beetles known for their bioluminescence are keeping the lights on across the city — more so than past summers, local bug experts have observed.Host - Jon HansenReporter - Mack LiedermanRead More Here  Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.Ground-level coverageOur neighborhood-based reporters don't parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. We believe this  ground-level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a  neighborhood.Stories that matter to you — every daySince our launch seven years ago, we've published more than 30,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 150,000 Chicagoans. We've built this loyalty by proving to folks we are not only covering their neighborhoods, we are a part of them. Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 10, 2025

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Swarms of flying insects are usually a nuisance. But this summer, Chicagoans are lighting up for a big return of lightning bugs. The flying beetles known for their bioluminescence are keeping the lights on across the city — more so than past summers, local bug experts have observed. After a few down years for the insects thanks to climate conditions and habitat threats, the lightning bug population appears “more abundant” this summer than years past, said Illinois state entomologist Christopher Dietrich.

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The Lightning Bugs Are Back This Year -- But Will This Be Their Curtain Call?

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