Lightnin’ Bugs

They come every year about this time, those tiny little flashes of light in the summer night. Some people call them fireflies but I’ve always called them lightnin’ bugs. They don’t much resemble a fly and I wouldn’t say their glow is like a fire but it sure does light up the darkness. Wikipedia says they are winged beetles known for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. That’s a mouthful. What it means is, their back sides flash on and off sort of like neon lights announcing to one and all that they are exceptionally bright little critters and lesser bugs should come and take a look.

To a child (and some adults) there is something magical about tiny flying lanterns. I remember when I was a child, running around the yard catching them and putting them in a jar. Now that sounds awful to take such a pretty little insect and confine it. The only redeeming factor is that after we caught them, my brother and I always let them go again. We thought that maybe because they gave off light, they would give off warmth too but they didn’t. A whole jar full made a pretty good dent in the dark though.

My grandmother didn’t like to see us run across the yard (we were barefoot of course) after the sun went down. “It’s the time of night for snakes to be out”, she would tell us. “You might step on one while you’re trying to catch those lightnin’ bugs.”  So, we kept one eye on our feet and the other on those fascinating winged specks of brightness.

My grandchildren like to catch lightnin’ bugs too but they don’t put them in a jar. They just watch for a bit, open their fists, and let them have their freedom. The only obstacle to catching them is the mosquitoes. Those ravenous little insects with the sharp bills and monotonous hum are out and about at that time of night too. Come to think of it, maybe they are the lightnin’ bugs’ body guards because they sure discourage straying into their territory. Were mosquitoes this bad when I was a child? I don’t remember.

I wonder if, when Noah and his family and all the animals were on the ark, the lightnin’ bugs flitted here and there, brightening the interior of that huge floating zoo? I’m glad they were on board because if they had missed the boat, we would have missed out on the special magic of little pinpricks of light flying lazily through the warm summer nights. Even though they probably light up for purely selfish motives, children don’t bother with that or their scientific moniker. We kids just think they’re pretty and fascinating and a sign of summer that we look forward to each year.