The species of firefly found in Texas is called Photinus pyralis, and it’s described as a narrow bug, approximately half an inch in length. However, no matter the name or the description, they light up a Texas Hill Country night like nothing else, and it’s a beautiful sight to see. According to a report by the Austin American-Statesman, this year those little orbs of light will be plentiful owing to the amount of rain we’ve had over the course of the spring.
Wizzie Brown with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service explained, “Fireflies need a wet spring to lay eggs, which in turn need moisture while they grow underground for nearly a year.” The blog report was first published in 2016 when, once again, parts of central Texas were experiencing heavy spring rains. This year, being a repeat of that pattern, the report was updated to reflect that information. It further explained that this is why you so rarely see fireflies when Texas is going through a drought.
According to experts in the field, the firefly’s body consists of “…a small, black head and an orange thorax. The head is dwarfed by a pair of large, black eyes well suited for night vision. The rear two-thirds is an abdomen covered by a pair of black forewings lined with yellowish-brown. The most significant feature of the abdomen is a yellow, luminescent organ that covers most of its bottom. Texas fireflies emit a yellow flash from this organ.” It’s believed that fireflies flash their lights specifically to attract mates. Though both sexes of the Texas fireflies emit a flash, only the males are capable of flying.
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