# Are fireflies ever found in the Western US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094 "2007-07-01T03:38:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/1 "2007-07-01T03:38:47Z")
I’ve never seen them in WA, OR, ID, MT, CA, NV, or AZ. But I’ve seen them in the Midwest. Do they exist in the West? If not…why? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![kitemaker\_chuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@kitemaker\_chuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitemaker_chuck)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/2 "2007-07-01T03:57:08Z")
[QUOTE=Runs With Scissors] I’ve never seen them in WA, OR, ID, MT, CA, NV, or AZ. But I’ve seen them in the Midwest. Do they exist in the West? If not…why? Thanks! [/QUOTE] I’m from the state of Washington and I never recall seeing fireflies here. If breeding populations were introduced here from the Midwest, could they survive and eventually thrive here? kitemaker\_chuck (Chuck Anderson) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/3 "2007-07-01T04:36:20Z")
According to [this](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3D91F39F933A15750C0A96E948260), although members of the firefly family are found in the western US, ones that fly around flashing are not found much farther west than Kansas City. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/4 "2007-07-01T04:44:53Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] According to [this](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3D91F39F933A15750C0A96E948260), although members of the firefly family are found in the western US, ones that fly around flashing are not found much farther west than Kansas City. [/QUOTE] Guess as to why? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/5 "2007-07-01T04:50:09Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] Guess as to why? [/QUOTE] No idea. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/6 "2007-07-01T04:53:38Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] ones that fly around flashing are not found much farther west than Kansas City. [/QUOTE] They’re pretty common in eastern Nebraska. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/7 "2007-07-01T05:31:41Z")
I see them regularly here in Texas- but that may not count as sufficiently “West” in your estimation. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/8 "2007-07-01T05:36:59Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] Guess as to why? [/QUOTE] Hippies. Fireflies hate hippies. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/9 "2007-07-01T06:35:35Z")
Obviously it is because FOX cancelled Drive before Mal could get far enough west… Wait, what’s this thread about again? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/10 "2007-07-01T06:35:49Z")
There are planty of Fireflies in the Western USA. However, they don’t give off light. Yeah, I know, you think I am being a smartass. I am- but not here. 😛 I have seen the larval forms of the beetle Family _Lampyridae_ right here in CA, and glowing quite nicely, thank you. Not common, but you can find them. However, the Western US species don’t produce light as adults. From Wiki: \*Many fireflies do not produce light. Usually these species are diurnal, or day-flying, such as those in the genus Ellychnia. A few diurnal fireflies that primarily inhabit shadowy places, such as beneath tall plants or trees, are luminescent. One such genus is Lucidota. All fireflies glow as larvae. Bioluminescence serves a different function in lampyrid larvae than it does in adults. It appears to be a warning signal to predators, since many firefly larvae contain chemicals that are distasteful or toxic. \* This cite explains it, but it is PDF: [http://www.sciencecases.org/fireflies/fireflies\_notes.pdf](http://www.sciencecases.org/fireflies/fireflies_notes.pdf) OK? ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/11 "2007-07-01T06:49:54Z")
You can have mine, but you’ll have to round them up yourself. Bring a BIG jar. I hate butterflies, too. Bugs. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/12 "2007-07-01T18:35:44Z")
I’m lining up for Ms. Pumpkin’s fireflies. I’ve never seen them–I haven’t been very far east in either Canada or the USA. I’ve always wondered about them, and figured it was just a geographical distribution of species. They sound enchanting. I’m sure, like fireworks, they’d be “nice” on camera, but that’s not the same as seeing them in reality. I’ll take your butterflies, too, although we are blessed with those here. Maybe I’ll go to the ocean and look at the phosper… phosphorescence in the waves tonight. That’s all I’ve got for a ‘glow’ that I can think of! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/13 "2007-07-01T21:08:53Z")
[QUOTE=Savannah] They sound enchanting. ! [/QUOTE] They ‘enchant’ the crap out of dogs. There’s one, I’m gonna eat it—WTF where’d it go 😕 I wouldn’t call them enchanting. Neat…interesting…fun to watch, but not really enchating. If you’ve never seen one\*, it’s not a nice warm glow, slowly flying around. They only stay lit for a second or two (enough time to travel just a few feet) and it’s a bight flourescent green color. However, if you do happen upon them someday, make sure you take the oppertunity to swat at a few of them. If you hit them hard enough, they light up as they whiz through the air or you can smush them on the sidewalk for a glow in the dark trail. \*'one is a bad term. That should be 'if you’ve never seen _them_. When they come out, they usually come out in full force and you see them all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/14 "2007-07-01T23:19:05Z")
I’ve often wondered if many people _freak out_ the first time they see a firefly, if they had never heard of them before. There are lots of fireflies in Malaysia, but they seem to behave a little differently than the ones in North America. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/15 "2007-07-01T23:43:01Z")
… ☹ It never occurred to me that y’all didn’t have fireflies. That actually makes me a little sad…and it makes me appreciate the little guys a little more. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/16 "2007-07-02T00:28:22Z")
**Savannah** , they ARE enchanting. I don’t care what **Joey P** says. There is nothing like that moment when twlilight is waining and the lightning bugs rise up out of the meadow or lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/17 "2007-07-02T01:17:39Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] There is nothing like that moment when twlilight is waining and the lightning bugs rise up out of the meadow or lawn. [/QUOTE] Yup, lightning bugs are one of many excellent reasons to go roaming in the gloaming round these parts. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/18 "2007-07-02T01:43:33Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Hippies. Fireflies hate hippies. [/QUOTE] That can’t be it, cause we totally got both. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/19 "2007-07-02T07:29:52Z")
I read once about fireflies that glowed on and off _as a group_. It was as if they had a timer on. Anyone know anything about them? ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094/20 "2007-07-02T11:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] According to [this](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3D91F39F933A15750C0A96E948260), although members of the firefly family are found in the western US, ones that fly around flashing are not found much farther west than Kansas City. [/QUOTE] We Kansas Citians get all the cool toys. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fireflies-ever-found-in-the-western-us/410094.md?page=2)