Many people fondly remember catching fireflies as children, while others are building those memories today with their children or grandchildren. Yet, the flashing light of fireflies is only part of their life cycle. Most people never see the other parts, as much of it occurs underground or on the ground. There are more than 2,200 firefly species, and about 170 species are found in the United States. Scientists divide them into daytime dark fireflies, glow-worms and flashing fireflies. During the pandemic, scientists set out to learn more about fireflies. They discovered that they knew very little when they tried to determine which ones were most endangered using criteria established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A group of scientists dedicated to studying lightning bugs agreed that they are not insects despite having six legs. They are not considered insects because they do not have particular mouth-sucking parts. Instead, they are members of the beetle family, who are also not insects.