What we know for nearly certain, is that fireflies do not hang out in living rooms.
So get outside!
Participate in the experiment!
Research indicates that most adult fireflies respond to flashing light stimuli. However, flashlights create a light source that is too bright and direct. Our idea is to attract them and draw them near for your enjoyment, not to confuse or stun them!
With FireflyCall, you create a diffuse source of light where you can experiment with the color and type of signal you send out so that you can gently draw these creatures near. With over 2,000 species of bioluminescent Lampyridae on the planet (over 200 in North America alone!), there is bound to be some variation in response to stimuli. So please use our Contact Form to get in touch with us and tell us about your experience or provide a tip for what works in your neck of the woods. With your permission, we may use your tip on this very page.
With your feedback, we will guide the growth of the next version of FireflyCall and how we build this community around it. Thanks for playing, uhhhh, we mean, learning.
Requirements:
- Lampyridae habitat ( in North America, reportedly mostly only east of Kansas)
- A summer evening
- An iPhone or iPod Touch with FireflyCall installed
- Parental permission or supervision if you are under age
Helpful or Nifty:
- Insect repellant – we prefer natural and non–toxic (interested sponsors willing to send product to test inquire here)
- Boots with high socks and tightly cuffed pants – especially in tall grasses
- Friends with iPhones or iPods with Firefly Call installed – try to induce synchronicity!
- Curiousity about the natural world
- Willingness to noodle around until you learn your local firefly dialect
iPhone and iPod Touch Tips
Coming Soon
Please!!!
Fireflies are under increasing pressures from chemical and light pollution. Since their adult lifespans are short, please give them a chance to fulfill their life's purpose – to make more fireflies!.
So always catch and release.
NEVER smash or eat a firefly. Although they have an interesting smell, they are not for tasting and their bioluminscent chemicals are toxic. These chemicals, will not, make any part of your body glow or give you super powers.
Synchronicity is a phenomenon in which fireflies flash in unison – common to the species Peroptyx in tropical Asia. However, sightings have been reported in various parts of the U.S. and are sometimes induced by human activity.
We believe that with a large enough group of people with FireflyCall equipped iPhones, in the right grassy field, that synchronicity can be induced. We will be conducting our own experiments and reporting back here, but feel free to participate by using our contact form!
