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Firefly videos
Short videos about fireflies: how they flash, why some blink in sync, where to watch them, and why they are disappearing. Each one is written up below, with the questions it answers.
Most of these are stylised animations, not real footage, and each video says so. The facts in them come from published studies and field guides, and the write-up under each video names its source where it has one.
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100-Million-Year-Old Firefly Relative Found in Amber
Scientists have described Icaroramus, a new genus of lampyroid beetle preserved in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. The fossil keeps its light organs, and its antennae are unlike any known beetle's: 12 segments, most with two pairs of long branches. Most modern fireflies that signal with light have far simpler antennae, so this cousin seems to have had both a glow and an elaborate sense of smell. The study, in Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2026), calls it evidence for complex signalling in Cretaceous lampyroids. Why it glowed is still a puzzle. The beetle, amber and forest in the video are illustrations, not photographs of the fossil.
- Is it a real firefly?
- No. It is a firefly relative, a lampyroid beetle, not a true firefly.
- How old is it?
- About 100 million years old, from the mid-Cretaceous.
- Where was it found?
- In Kachin (Burmese) amber from Myanmar.
The Philippines Has Christmas Trees That Blink
In mangrove rivers across the Philippines, thousands of fireflies gather on a single tree and flash together, so the tree seems to blink. These are mangrove fireflies of the genus Pteroptyx, among the few fireflies in the world that synchronise. Alitaptap is the Filipino word for firefly. Well-known places to watch them include the Abatan River in Bohol, the Iwahig River in Palawan and the Ogod River in Donsol, Sorsogon. Noise, harsh light and the loss of mangroves all stress a colony, so watch quietly: paddle rather than motor, take no flash photos, and choose a night near the new moon. The video is a stylised animation, not real footage.
- When is the best time to see fireflies in the Philippines?
- Many guides say December to January, but it varies from river to river.
- Why do fireflies flash together?
- Scientists think it helps mates recognise their own species.
- How can I help?
- Log the fireflies you see on the Alitaptap map.
Fireflies Are Disappearing. Help Map Them in Seconds
Fireflies are disappearing in many parts of the world, and anyone can help record where they still glow. Alitaptap is a free citizen-science map where you can log a firefly or lightning bug sighting in seconds, identify the species and help keep dark places dark. Light pollution, habitat loss and pesticides are among the main threats. The sighting data is open, under a CC BY 4.0 licence, so researchers can use it too.
- What is Alitaptap?
- A free citizen-science firefly map and species guide. "Alitaptap" is the Filipino word for firefly.
- How do I report a firefly sighting?
- Open alitaptap.org and add your sighting to the map. It is free.
- Why are fireflies disappearing?
- Mainly light pollution, habitat loss and pesticides.
- Is the sighting data open?
- Yes, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Fireflies Blink in Perfect Sync With No Leader
Photinus carolinus, the Smokies synchronous firefly, is famous in the Great Smoky Mountains of the Appalachian region. Males flash in bursts, then go dark for several seconds, all in unison, for only about two weeks each June. There is no leader: each firefly nudges its own rhythm to match the flashes around it, until the whole group locks together. Physicists call this coupled oscillators. Only about 1% of the roughly 2,000 firefly species synchronise over large areas, including the Pteroptyx mangrove fireflies of Southeast Asia. The video is a stylised animation, not real footage.
- How do fireflies blink in sync?
- Each firefly adjusts its flash timing to the flashes around it. With enough neighbours, the whole group locks together with no leader.
- Which fireflies synchronise?
- Photinus carolinus in North America, and Pteroptyx mangrove fireflies in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.
- Why do fireflies flash?
- Mostly to find mates. Each species has its own flash pattern.
Firefly Sightings Map: Every Record Since 1941
Every firefly record on the Alitaptap map since 1941, shown glowing in place around the world. The video zooms in on one place and one sighting, then shows the countries that still have no firefly sightings at all. Most records come from public open data on iNaturalist; the rest are logged by visitors and reviewed before they appear. The map is free, available in ten languages, and its sighting data is open to researchers under CC BY 4.0. If you live somewhere the map is still empty, logging one firefly puts your place on it.
- Where do the sightings come from?
- Mostly from public open data on iNaturalist, plus sightings logged by visitors and reviewed before they appear.
- Why map fireflies?
- A map of where they have been seen, and where they have gone quiet, helps people find them, protect them and notice when they vanish.
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