Link: https://resjournals-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/doi/10.1111/icad.12481

Light pollution is an increasing threat to firefly populations. Due to the aspect of sexual attraction in the process of this species mating behavior. Although fireflies are also harmed by habitat loss and urbanization, light pollution is hard to mitigate. This paper is interesting in that it compares the damage from different sources that implement harm on firefly’s to highlight the most alarming threat. Moreover, I remember as a kid there would be so many fireflies outside at night that my friends and I would catch with our hands and admire how they could produce light. This article modeled the possible distribution of the tracker ghost firefly Amydetes fastigiata and determined the rate of growth for light pollution, urbanization, and deforestation in the Atlantic Forest.


This study was conducted in the Atlantic Forest. The light pollution data was collected by analyzing a data set on harmonized global nighttime light observations from 1992-2018.Then the urbanization and forest cover trends data were collected by using MapBioMas Collect 5 to analyze the distribution of the ghost firefly from 1992-2018. To compare the first and last 5-year time frames of this data set the researchers calculated mean values and other statistical analysis to find the percentage of land cover, pixel numbers, etc. The researchers performed the Cramer’s V test to find associations between the split data set. I believe that the data analysis could have included some self-observations from the researchers of at least a year’s worth of data to add it to the analysis of the data set from 1992-2018. However, the researchers did compile entomological collections, literature, and field work data. Therefore, with the understanding that research has limitations based on funds, the self-observations for at least a year would not have been a priority; it would have just added another year of data collection.

The authors’ findings showed that light pollution had the greatest rate of growth in the study site. Approximately 1,4000 km2 of dark areas were found to be impacted by artificial light. It was emphasized that the main reason that light pollution outdoes the other threats in the speed of growing concern is that it is difficult to cut off the light’s reach. Unlike how protected spaces allow there to be a buffer between urbanization and deforestation. Light pollution is a challenging matter especially to nocturnal insects that are most vulnerable to the changes it implies. The discussion does a great job in explaining the different vulnerabilities to fireflies. For instance, to the males using the light signaling to detect females. The activity of the light flashes are reduced lowering reproductive opportunities. Furthermore, larvae are left with both decreased defense mechanisms and effectiveness as predators. Since, larvae use aposematic signals under bioluminescent communication. Additional variable that should be considered is that given that more than 60% Brazil’s population lives within the Atlantic Forest that the visits from the growing number of people to the areas that the fireflies reside on may be damaging the larvae, capturing fireflies for entertainment purposes, etc.

This study brings attention to artificial light being the top stressor to fireflies and the challenges of mitigating it. In addition, to the need for adapting regional conservation policies and locations of protected areas. The framework that the research created can help future research pinpoint areas of improvement for vulnerable populations of species. The study found that deforestation had the greatest extent of effect on firefly’s however, pointing out that light pollution was found to be an emerging concern which directs future research. It is important to know that further growth of light pollution comes from habitat loss for new developments that changes the land use.