Fireflies slowly go out - Ekolist.cz
Fireflies, as we call about 2,000 members of this family with the ability of bioluminescence, are currently at risk of extinction. / Illustrative photoLicense | Some rights reservedPhoto | Ciot's Run / Flickr.comFlies, as we call approximately 2,000 members of this family with bioluminescence capabilities, are currently at risk of extinction. The widespread loss of their natural habitats, the overuse of pesticides and also artificial lighting are to blame. The Independent writes about it. We know the ads are annoying. And we respect that you have them turned off :-) We will be happy if you support us differently. Please log in to hide your ads
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When not lit, fireflies are not exactly conspicuous insects. And maybe that's why they illustrate so badly how human impacts on vulnerable ecosystems can be. Their existence is overlooked and neglected to the extreme, when they are suddenly no longer there. One of their major problems is ordinary night lighting.
"In addition to disturbing the biorhythms of all organisms at night, including us humans, fireflies totally disrupt mating rituals," says entomologist Avalon Owens. "Fireflies use their fluorescence, bioluminescence, to find suitable partners. And they can't do that in artificial light. Energy-efficient LED bulbs, which are often very bright, will not help them with this either. ”
Professor Sarah Lewis, for example, mentions that many species of fireflies are quite complex in their existence. "Malaysia fireflies, for example, Pteroptyx tener, known for its synchronized backlit flights, cannot complete their life cycle without mangroves." aquaculture.
The loss of suitable habitats does not affect all species of fireflies in the same way, some of them can survive for some time even in a disturbed environment, or move elsewhere.
But this is not the case with the "Blue Spirit", the firefly Phausis reticulata. It is wingless and if its environment changes, it dies almost immediately. The use of pesticides in agriculture is also problematic. "The most significant exposure of fireflies occurs in the larval life phase, when they spend up to three years shallowly below the soil surface or in water," says Owens. In two seasons, he has more than enough opportunities to get poisoned.
If neonicotinoid insecticides are to blame? It is difficult to say that these substances have not been tested on fireflies. But most commonly used insecticides probably don't work for them. Firefly troubles can also go unnoticed for a long time.
Lewis mentions, for example, the American Photinus pyralis, a firefly with minimal demands and high resistance. "They are beautiful and can survive almost everywhere." Thus, the causes of the threat of fireflies are not fundamentally different from what other members of the insect kingdom experience. But once the darkness is without the magic lights, it will be too late to do anything about it.
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