Strobe Light-ning Bugs

'Twas the damndest thing ...

As the twilight dwindled, my son and I were observing the crepuscular ritual of the photuris lucicrescens, flaunting their abdominal bioluminescence so as to draw the attention of prospective mates (in other words, the fireflies wanted to get laid so they made their butts glow), when I noticed something I have never seen before.

You see, up until recently - by which I mean two days ago - all the fireflies I've seen have pretty much followed the same basic routine: they get airborne, fly to someplace with good sightlines, and then they set their asses aglow for as long as possible. Like an emergency flare burning strong and steady, their booty beacons brazenly blaze brightly for several seconds at a time. This is a good way for a fly guy in the mood for l'amore to let the honeys know that he's ready for a little sump'n sump'n (and that he can keep the ol' fire burning for quite some time, if you know what I mean).

Of course, it's also a good way to let the birds know where to find an evening snack. It's nature's equivalent to the big fluorescent Taco Bell sign.

Late Nite Fly Thru open 'til midnight.

Last night, however, was different. It was much more like the convenience store signs where the fluorescent bulbs never work so well. Instead of the steady burn, the shiny hineys were flickering on and off in rapid succession. And it wasn't just one or two ... it was all of them. Wednesday night they were glowing, Thursday night they were blinking. It was like they were all signaling left turns or something.

We stayed outside for a bit longer than planned watching the little greenish strobe lights fly about. It's not that often that you encounter such a change. It's a wondrous thing, and a bit perplexing, too. Is it club night in firefly land? Did they switch to the red-eye prevention setting?

Or did they somehow figure out that school ended on Wednesday and now bedtimes for the neighborhood kids have reverted to the more lenient summer schedules? After all, as my son pointed out, when the lightning bugs are blinking they are much harder to catch.