Local News

Here’s Why There Are So Many Fireflies in the Texas Hill Country This Year

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Fireflies are magical little bugs; they can instantly transport you to childhood. However, there are an unusually large number of fireflies in the Hill Country this year. This is why.

Entomologists, or bug scientists, at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, noticed quite a large number of fireflies in the Hill Country this year, so they decided to look into it. Lighting up the early evening skies, the fireflies have made for a welcome, magical sight, and their presence is due in large part to the rainy season we’ve had so far.

As KUT reported, fireflies “need a wet Spring to lay a bunch of eggs. Then the larvae need moisture as they grow underground for at least a year before emerging.” The torrential rains from this season and the wet spring of last year have combined into the perfect storm for the night’s greatest tiny flashlights.

Scientists believe that we should consider ourselves lucky, too, as firefly populations are declining across much of the country. As Dr. Chris Cratsley says, “Everything about the ways we are developing the land [big development like paving the earth] suggests that this would be eliminating the fireflies.”

If you’ve been outside lately, be sure to thank the Earth for the fireflies and savor the sight!