It's Just a Country State of Mind: Dance of the fireflies

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite summer pastimes was to catch lightning bugs, better known as fireflies.

They are the small blinking insects that light up the night as they fly about. My friends and I would run around and catch them. We would then put them into an old mason jar with a lid on it. The lid had holes poked in the top for air circulation. It was like having a homemade flashlight.

At the end of the evening, when it was time for bed, the fireflies would be turned loose into the night air, dancing their way back to the darkness at hand.

The illumination part of the firefly is all rather scientific. To explain all the details would take all the fun out of it.

Fireflies aren't truly a fly, but rather a soft body beetle. The light is produced in special cells located near the end of their abdomen. A sort of chemical reaction takes place. The main purpose of the light is not for our entertainment but instead used to attract a mate. Obviously, it must work, though we often don't see the results – we just see the dance.

There are many different species of fireflies in Indiana. Each species has its own unique flash pattern. The best time to see them in Indiana is in the summer months of June and July. After that, their dancing time is winding down. They only have a lifespan of two months.

They're easy to locate. Some good places to find them are along the edge of the woods, in fields, meadows or in the yard.

One species of firefly is the official insect of Indiana. The Says Firefly, also called the Angle Candled firefly became the state's official insect when it was proclaimed so by Governor Eric Holcomb on March 23, 2018.

Fireflies are as much a part of summer as cookouts, corn on the cob and fireworks.

You could say it's nature's gentle firework display.

The poet, James Whitcomb Riley, wrote in one of his poems that, "Fireflies like golden seeds are sewn about the night."

Another poet, Robert Frost, perhaps penned it best in his poem, Fireflies in the Garden.

"Here come real stars to fill the upper skies. And here on earth come emulating flies. That though they never equal stars in size, And they were never really stars at heart. Achieve at times a very start. Only, of course, they can't sustain the part."

Fireflies fill the night air with their twinkles, like little stars, and give us a hint of the heavens. We should pause to enjoy the illumination, however brief. And even now, another generation of children are still awed by their charms.

Another mason jar has holes punched in its lid. And yet another child's imagination is stirred as they delight in the midsummer's night dance. The dance of the fireflies.

Enjoy the dance!
— Susan