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Lightning bugs
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:23 pm
by albucsfan
Might be an odd question, but does anyone know what adult lightning bugs eat?
I keep finding them hiding under my bell pepper plant leaves during the day... Just curious more than anything...
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:54 pm
by rainbowgardener
Like ants and many other insects, the adult lightening bug doesn't eat solid food, just mostly nectar. It's not eating your plants, just hiding.
Lightening bug larvae however eat all kinds of things including, get this, slugs!
https://cindyha.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/what-do-lightning-bugs-eat-an-evening-with-fireflies/
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:44 am
by SPierce
rainbowgardener wrote:Like ants and many other insects, the adult lightening bug doesn't eat solid food, just mostly nectar. It's not eating your plants, just hiding.
Lightening bug larvae however eat all kinds of things including, get this, slugs!
https://cindyha.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/what-do-lightning-bugs-eat-an-evening-with-fireflies/
good to know! I saw one on my pumpkin plant the other day, and was wondering- but knew it was a lightning bug so I left it!
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 8:10 am
by albucsfan
The thing is.... I probably wouldn't do anything even if they were eating the plants.... It's lightning bugs after all & the kids love them!
Plus those plants are doing very well, was mostly curious because I don't think I have ever found a "daytime hangout" before... Kinda cool
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:09 am
by !potatoes!
there are a number of different species of lightning bug - and while most adults are nectar feeders, some are carnivores/almost cannibals. several taxon actually specialize in mimicking the flashes of other species, so that when the others come close, thinking they've got a mate, they get eaten. it's a wild world out there.
they won't bother your garden regardless.
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 11:19 am
by GardenGnome
I wish I had some here to see glow in the night. Mail me a box of them lol
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:59 pm
by albucsfan
GardenGnome wrote:I wish I had some here to see glow in the night. Mail me a box of them lol
better half grew up in Vegas, was in his 30's before he saw fireflies in person... Was hilarious! He looked like a little kid chasing them!
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:03 pm
by lily51
Albucsfan. Had same experience when a cousin visited here, and he was 50!
He was outside staring across the field wondering what all the little lights were! Reminded me to appreciate the magic show we get to see every summer.
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:05 am
by GardenGnome
I read somewhere when frogs eat a lot of them they start to glow.
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:21 am
by rainbowgardener
I thought that sounded like some kind of urban myth, but I looked it up and found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGQNSw-XWlg
(you have to watch it to the end) awesome!