• Participation Journal

 

Prior to participating in the project there was no formal training needed. However, the tutorial video offered on their website was very helpful and I would consider it necessary to view before seriously participating. The video can be found here. The video covers the different species of fireflies, their history, their behaviors, and covers the layout and expected contributions for recording observations. While the video is rather long (over 2 hours), the tutorial is needed to understand the project and accurately record observations. Without watching the video, one could mistake flashing patterns or miss out on recording important information like pulse durations and flash pattern intervals, which are not listed on the Firefly Watch Observation Form but can be added under additional field notes.

I began the project on July 2, 2021, around 6 p.m., as I explored the homepage and watched the tutorial video. The video inspired me to pay closer attention to fireflies and helped me identify things I wouldn’t of typically knew to watchout for. My observations took place on 7/03/2021, 7/06/2021, 7/10/2021, 7/11/2021, 7/13/2021, 7/15/2021, and 7/18/2021. I used two different habitat types. One was a mowed lawn in front of my apartment complex and the other was a short trail with shrubs and trees along the edges. The photos below include both habitats I used for my observations; they were around 500 feet apart from each other.

I used two different time blocks between my observations and spent between fifteen to thirty minutes in my selected habitat to record my firefly sightings for that day. The days of 7/03/2021, 7/11/2021, 7/13/2021, 7/15/2021, and 7/18/2021, I made my observations between 8:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The days of 7/06/2021 and 7/10/2021, I made my observations between 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. One of the most helpful things for recording my observations was carrying along the Firefly Watch Observation Form with me and noting with a pen the observations I made. Also, one is able to add their observations at any time, which allowed me to compile all my forms first and then record my observations later. This was extremely helpful to me, when balancing full time work and two other classes the ability to save some steps for later can be a life saver.

There were only two days where between the time of 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. I recorded less than the range of 11-25 fireflies flashing, those days being 7/03/2021 and 7/11/2021. All other days between that time had me witness 11-25 fireflies flashing between each 10-second period I watched. Looking at my recordings, I was able to note some noticeable differences in the weather that could have contributed to the lowered amount. The days between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., outside of 7/03/2021 and 7/11/2021, were in the lower 80s (Fahrenheit) and on clear nights. However, the temperature was in the mid-70s (Fahrenheit) during my observation on 7/03/2021, and a storm had passed through earlier in the day on 7/11/2021. This resulted in the area being partly cloudy during my observation on 7/11/2021. Both days mentioned had between 5-10 fireflies flashing between each 10-second period observed.

The difference between the two different habitats didn’t seem to effect firefly activity much. The field directly outside my apartment did have artificial light within the habitat, while the path through the edged forest had some artificial light from a streetlight around 100 feet away. I believe the difference could have contributed to me spotting less fireflies later in the night while outside my apartment. While the weather conditions were relatively the same during my observations between 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (7/06/2021 and 7/10/2021), I observed no fireflies flashing outside my apartment on 7/10/2021 but witnessed between 1-5 fireflies flashing in 10-second periods when looking down the path habitat. Both nights were clear and mid-70s (Fahrenheit).

Due in part from my observations, looking up pictures and flash patterns of different firefly species, and Firefly Watch’s helpful flash pattern guide as shown above, I was able to identify the firefly I observed as Photinus, and what I believe to be more specifically at the Photinus pyralis. My wife was also crucial in helping me identify the species. She followed me along most observations and provided counts as well as helped solidify my observations. Her counting allowed me to better pay attention to flash pattern intervals and pulse durations, and I could confirm with her my counts. During all my observations, the only flash pattern I noticed was between 5-6 seconds and with a pulse duration around 1 full second. Below I have a picture of what I believe to be the Photinus pyralis. My wife is an expert firefly catcher and I learned from her.

I plan on continuing the project after this course ends. The reason being is so I can continue to expand my knowledge on fireflies and become better at identifying different species. I’ve noticed over the course of my three weeks in truly observing fireflies I’ve became keener on identifying light patterns, observing behavior changes, and noticing environmental changes. My wife and I plan on moving outside of Virginia next year and it would be interesting to notice the different species or lack thereof when we hopefully move somewhere out West or to Hawaii. We’ve only seemed to notice one species in our general area but would love to identify others. Also, participating in the project helps researchers notice changes in species, helps identify populations, and can help identify undiscovered species.