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...
- rainbowgardener
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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/
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!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/
- !potatoes!
- Greener Thumb
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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.
they won't bother your garden regardless.
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- Greener Thumb
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- rainbowgardener
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