There are 56 different species of fireflies in Florida. People who live in the East are particularly fortunate since they frequently observe insects flashing during the sunset. This time, an undergrad in Los Angeles County who was insect hunting hit the jackpot after discovering a new firefly species. Does California Have Fireflies? (Answered) 3 Can Fireflies Live in California?ĭespite what you may have heard or seen, there are fireflies west of the Mountains, though they tend to stay to themselves and are rarely observed by humans. One of the reasons we’re bringing this to the public’s attention is that it appears likely that this beetle’s range is relatively restricted,” he says, “and the environment where it occurs may require some protection, at least until we learn more about it. Yanega points out that their short range makes them particularly vulnerable.

They also tend to congregate in small, highly localized groups near springs and seeps, where they eat snails. Even the bright ones keep a low profile compared to their Eastern counterparts, flying only for a few minutes after dusk. There are various types of fireflies, sometimes known as lightning bugs, in Southern California, although not all of them sparkle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happy pupil. In a press statement regarding the discovery, Doug Yanega, senior scientist at the UC-Riverside Entomology Research Museum, states, “He wasn’t 100 percent positive it was a firefly and brought it to me for confirmation.” “I’m familiar enough with the local fauna that I was able to tell him within minutes that he had discovered something completely new to science. Joshua Oliva, an undergrad student at the University of California-Riverside, discovered the firefly in May while collecting insects for an entomology class in the Santa Monica Mountains.

In reality, a new species of firefly has been discovered in the shadow of America’s third city, Los Angeles County. They may be less common and less visible, but they exist – even in Southern California’s arid, urban, and light-polluted settings. Despite popular belief, there are a few fireflies in the United States West. The bioluminescent insects are popular in many Eastern states throughout the summer, but they’re rarely found west of the Rocky Mountains. For many Americans, summer is incomplete without the ethereal glitter of fireflies at dusk.

Are there lightning bugs in florida