SPRINGDALE, Ark. — It's firefly mating season, but as some may have noticed, they're becoming harder to find in Northwest Arkansas, and growth in the region may be to blame.
With the growth seen in the Northwest Arkansas region comes urbanization and light pollution, things that can decrease habitat desirability for fireflies.
What once might have been an open field of fireflies lighting up the summer sky may now be a bustling area of town where lightning bugs are virtually absent.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) says that as communities get bigger, the fireflies may stop showing up.
"We get asked the question all the time - 'hey, why don't I see that many lightning bugs anymore?' The simple answer is, maybe your community is no longer a good habitat for them," USFWS said.
Fireflies Leaving NWA?
Northwest Arkansas is growing at a rapid pace, and that growth could have unintended consequences for firefly populations.
"Some species are going to have a very hard time as urbanization comes in, and their niche habitats kind of get changed, as it were, whereas other species may be more resilient and able to handle that," said Dr. Austin Jones, an Entomology Instructor at the University of Arkansas.
Both Washington and Benton counties, the two most populated counties in Northwest Arkansas, are expected to reach a combined population of one million residents by the year 2050, according to a recent projection by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.
The U.S. Census also published data this year related to growth in the region, calling Northwest Arkansas the 18th fastest-growing metro in the country, with Benton and Washington counties seeing the largest growth in the state.
Jones says that the incoming sprawl could be harmful to firefly populations.
"Anytime you have population growth, you have habitat modification that comes with that," Jones explained. "We like straight lines. We like mowed yards. We like things to look neat and tidy. And sometimes what is esthetically pleasing for us isn't necessarily pleasing to natural insect populations, native insect populations, because they want those damp areas, or they want that tall grass."
Jones says to not be too worried about fireflies moving out of the region, but that the rapid development of the area does pose a threat.
"Do I think that fireflies are poised to leave Northwest Arkansas, like as a region? I don't think so. I think that we're real fortunate," Jones said, adding that the nearby mountainous areas and forests act as a refuge for the bugs looking to steer clear of the cities.
Even better, Jones says those mountainous areas are less likely to be developed. However, over time, fireflies may be less easy to find in people's backyards.
"I think even remnants of the soil and forests being around and in Northwest Arkansas is enough to bring those fireflies back in contact with people, you just may not see them as prevalent in backyards, for example, in these large housing developments that are going in right now," Jones said.
Still, the development in Northwest Arkansas can harm firefly habitats.
"A lot of times what I see in Northwest Arkansas development is what was previously cattle pasture. It's easiest for developers to come in there because they don't have to mow trees. They don't have to do a whole lot. But a lot of times what they do is they bulldoze up those surface soils," Jones said. "Nothing really survives those situations."
Because they are so specialized, Jones says that they can't handle much habitat modification and that everyday things like mowing lawns can be damaging.
Additionally, light pollution and habitat destruction can create issues and interfere with firefly mating.
"Female fireflies of a lot of species don't do much flying. They hang out within the grass, and they like grass to be a little bit taller than maybe what city regulations want us to have our lawns," Jones said. "A lot of what we do for our areas around our domiciles is to reduce the number of pests that are there. That's why we have mowed yards and we put chemicals in them and things of that nature."
Keeping Them Around
While development in Northwest Arkansas poses a risk for firefly spotting, USFWS and Jones both say that there are things people can do to make their communities more desirable habitats for the bright beetles.
"Try to make sure that you have a mixture of native vegetation that's there instead of just, you know, a monoculture," Jones said. "Unmowed areas, I would think would be key also, you know, particularly during the dry season. I would think that maintaining, you know, watering of areas would be beneficial to these because a lot of times they're associated with creek banks and marshes and things like that."
While lightning bugs may be best associated with warm summer nights, a crucial part of their life and habitat compatibility starts in the fall.
Firefly eggs are laid into the ground and hatch, maturing into glow worms. During that stage, they feast on other, tinier insects.
Leaf litter on the ground keeps the tiny insects coming, and thus the glow worms follow.
"That's why it's important to leave your backyards and street sides as untouched as possible every autumn to preserve the larvae and small insects living in the leaf litter," USFWS said. "This helps to ensure a healthy, new year of fireflies."
"Having something there for them as a refugia over the winter is great. So wood piles, leaf piles, things like that," Jones concurred. "It's not just the fireflies that benefit from having leaf cover over winter to mostly protect them from the freezing cold. And so, when we rake our yards, that effectively kind of extirpates them from those areas again."
Here are some other ways that the USFWS says will help attract fireflies:
- Turn off outdoor lights in the evening. If you have inside lights on, close the blinds.
- Plant native plants.
- Mow grass less frequently and raise the length of the cut to four inches.
- When leaves drop in the fall, rake them if you want, but keep them in your yard.
- Use non-pesticide solutions for insect control.
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