What Does A Lightning Bug Eat

As they mature and turn into beetles they do one of several things depending on which species of firefly they are.

What does a lightning bug eat.

The second stage of the life cycle of a firefly is the larval stage to develop into a pupa the larvae generally eat small insects snails slugs earthworms dead animals and organic material that is available in their habitat. Some species are arboreal and their larvae hunt tree snails. According to national geographic some species do not seem to eat at all once they reach the adult stage which makes some sense once you learn that their entire life span is about 2 months. A few asian species use gills to breathe underwater where they eat aquatic snails and other mollusks.

Fireflies produce a cold light with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. Placing copper strips or pennies in your hosta a favorite target of iowa s gray garden slugs hasn t been proven to prevent the slugs damage. Once they find their prey they inject them with a substance that immobilizes them. Lightning bug larvae live on the ground under bark and in moist swampy places.

They eat earthworms snails and slugs plus they may scavenge certain small dead animals and other organic material. They inject a digestive fluid onto their prey which immobilizes their prey. They are soft bodied beetles that are commonly called fireflies glowworms or lightning bugs for their conspicuous use of bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey. This chemically produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow green or pale red with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanomete.

Several species of adult lightning bugs attempt to lure other species of lightning bugs so they can eat them. Even better most species are predatory feeding on the larvae of insect pests as well as on slugs and snails. Other adult species sustain themselves with plant nectar. Some fireflies eat other types of fireflies.

Although some adults of certain firefly species might still catch other bugs for dinner most adults actually feed on nectar and pollen. But lightning bugs in their larval stage prey on slugs. They eat earthworms snails and slugs plus they may scavenge certain small dead animals and other organic material. This is where the lightning bugs come in.

Attracting lightning bugs to your garden is definitely a good thing to do as unlike many other less desirable bugs these beneficial insects don t bite they aren t poisonous and they carry no diseases. Once predators get a bite they associate the unpleasant taste with firefly light and avoid attacking the lightning bugs in the future. Lightning bugs also eat other insect larvae and snails. The lampyridae are a family of insects in the beetle order coleoptera with more than 2 000 described species.

What a beneficial beetle. Most firefly species inhabit moist terrestrial environments where they feed on snails or worms in the soil. Lightning bug larvae eat snails slugs and worms.