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This was one of my favorite things when I was a child. Every year, I waited impatiently for the arrival of the fireflies. To me, they were magical creatures. The stuff made of fairy stories and enchantment. I would laugh with delight each time I caught one of the glowing beetles in my jar. I'd sit and watch it for a while, then release it. My father wouldn't allow me to keep any insect or animal. He said they were born free and they must stay free. He was right. But still, he allowed me those moments of magic to sit with a jar of fireflies in my hand, watching their luminous glow. Do you know what makes fireflies light up? When I was a child, I had no idea. This didn't matter. I loved them and still do. Let's take a few minutes to find out exactly how and why fireflies light up. Fireflies live in colonies. They are beetles, not flies. They light up by controlling how much oxygen goes to their phophotic organ (butt.) The light that fireflies make is not fire. It has no heat. It is called "cold light." This light has no ultra violet rays, as the sun does. It can only be made by certain species, like fungi, certain species of fish, insects and invertebrates. Real plants, mammals, birds and reptiles do not have this ability. Fireflies are light-making beetles. The light is made by mixing oxygen with three other chemicals. Luciferin - This chemical is present in the cells of all organisms that make light. Luciferase - This starts the mixing of the chemicals. ATP - This is a chemical that supplies large amounts of energy to cells. When these chemicals are mixed together and mixed with oxygen, they produce light. The fireflies' phophotic organ, the sixth section of its abdomen, produces the light. The firefly turns on the light while flying upward. The flashes of light appear approximately every 5.8 seconds. The light is used in mating rituals and to protect fireflies from their enemies. When mating, the male firefly flies through the air, flashing his light. The female sits near the ground on a tree or bush, and flashes her light two seconds after the male. This allows him to find her.
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The copyright of the article Magical Creatures of the Night in Science for Kids is owned by Mary M. Alward. Permission to republish Magical Creatures of the Night in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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