Overview

• Recent weeks have seen an upturn in firefly activity across the U.S. Northeast following an unusually wet spring that boosted larval development into adult emergence.
• Field surveys in New York City parks such as Central Park and Prospect Park reveal dazzling summer displays yet underline a broader downward trend.
• Experts report that habitat degradation, pesticide exposure and pervasive urban light pollution continue to erode firefly reproduction and survival rates.
• Artificial lighting from billboards, streetlights and vehicles disrupts the insects’ bioluminescent mating signals and reduces their breeding success in urban areas.
• Researchers recommend that communities dim outdoor lights at night and refrain from lawn insecticide use to help sustain firefly populations beyond temporary weather-driven peaks.