

Learn more about synchronous fireflies and how to experience their symphony of light. North Carolina is one of the few places in the world to see synchronous fireflies, like Photinus carolinus.

Fireflies’ trademark flashing light is a well-known example of bioluminescence. Lightning Bug A drama/thriller, set in the South, about a young boy who longs to escape the misery of his childhood and the misunderstanding of his hometown. Illuminating Insectsīioluminescence, or the ability of a living organism to produce light, is both breathtaking and rare. Many people call lightning bugs fireflies. View the original data as an interactive map for comparison. A lightning bug is a flying insect that flashes a glowing light at night. Katz’ data (collected 11 years after the Harvard study) suggests firefly is becoming more popular, while fewer folks outside Appalachia and the Heartland use lightning bug exclusively. Overall, roughly 40% of respondents use “firefly” and “lightning bug” interchangeably, while about 30% each use one term exclusively. Lightning Bug: Which Do You Say? NC State alum, Josh Katz, created this map using data from a quiz he developed, based on the Harvard Dialect Survey, for The New York Times. Homegrown sat down with Clyde Sorenson - NC State’s resident firefly expert and a luminary in his own right - to help shed light on the subject in this edition of Homegrown. If you’re like us, their mysterious glow has mesmerized you since childhood. Fireflies are found across North Carolina, with 30 to 40 species (and counting) identified in the state
