N. American fireflies threatened

[58chevy]

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graph ... 257108007/

[kevinkk]

I remember seeing my first firefly. One could assume that all the issues concerning fireflies are a problem for a number of animals.
Light pollution isn't something most people think about, the subdivision near me is lit up like an airport, and it's all empty vacation
rentals, lets all go buy some more "bionic" led lights. It is a pet peev of mine, lights lights lights.
We don't have fireflies here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm not sure why either, Indiana didn't seem all that different...
A lot of nocturnal animals navigate by the moon as well.

[Bugplutofarmlandwind]

It's a bummer to hear that these luminescent critters are facing challenges. But fear not, my friend, because awareness is key! By spreading the word, appreciating their magical glow, and taking steps to protect their habitats, we can help these fireflies keep shining bright.

[Chuck]

Don't get all wound up too fast.

"SOURCE The Xerces Society; The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species; firefly.org; USA TODAY research"

No citations of real researchers? LOL "USA TODAY research" yeah, I'd give that confidence, NOT.

Not to say there isn't an issue, there's a problem now with Saturnid populations (and god knows how many others). It's simply that the outlet of the article isn't known for subjectivity, and the sources are at times quite questionable.

[MikeH]

We don't have fireflies here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm not sure why either, Indiana didn't seem all that different...

Pterotus obscuripennis lives in Oregon, although only the larviform females glow. The are also some non-glowing species.

Glowing fireflies can be found in the cooler/more arid west but colonies are less dense and often extremely localized around wetlands and occasionally hotsprings. Undoubtedly many populations have been extirpated by draining or building over wetlands or lowering water tables but many still exist.

Some example resources
https://nhmu.utah.edu/citizen-science/fireflies

https://tucson.com/news/local/fireflies ... 7cbbb.html

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1948256