Madison723web

SNAPPY
One of summer’s most magical offerings
is the flashing lights of fireflies.
What child hasn’t rounded up a Mason jar of lightning
bugs to put in their room? The phosphorous glow is one
of nature’s most fascinating things to watch.
SYNCHING
IN THE
WOODS
Susan Marquez
Now imagine walking into the woods to see tens
of thousands of fireflies flashing their lights in perfect
synchronization. No random flashing here and there,
rather a symphony of lights blinking on and off at
precisely the same time.
The Photinus Frontalis species of fireflies does just
that, and they only do it in dense, old growth forests.
There are very few documented places in the world
where this species is found. One of those places is in
the woods behind the Bill Waller Craft Center in
Ridgeland, adjacent to one of Mississippi’s National
Parks: The Natchez Trace Parkway.
And for the record, fireflies are not flies at all,
they are beetles. And the chemical reaction known
as bioluminescence is how the fireflies convert
energy into light.
The “Snappy Synchs” have a short life span.
They mate, lay eggs, and live about two weeks
before dying. The eggs mature into larvae then into
full grown fireflies that only come out once a year.
The flashing lights are designed to attract a mate.
Once they have mated, their work is done.
Claire Graves, a native of Ackerman, heard about
the Snappy Synchs at the craft center by attending a
class of Mississippi master naturalists. “I have always
been interested in nature,” she says. Similar to the
Master Gardener programs, the Master Naturalists
program trains people to be stewards of our natural
environment and to teach those skills to others. Master
naturalists receive many hours of both classroom and
field instruction, and they are required to complete a
number of volunteer hours along with annual continuing
education requirements.
Hometown MADISON • 55