This summer has been good for viewing lightning bugs or fireflies because of several weather conditions. Here's what you need ...

Fireflies in the yard of an unoccupied home in June outside Viewmont, N.Y. "I have been photographing this house, on and off, day and night, for about 25 years," Mauney said. Pete Mauney for NPR ...

There are several reasons why some places might be seeing more of these glowy beetles this summer. The first is wet weather.

Recent decades have seen fireflies become scarce in certain areas, and scientists warn that some have experienced concerning population declines tied to human activity and habitat changes. But experts ...

Fireflies find each other and mate, the females lay eggs, they die -- and the cycle is set in motion for the next summer's spectacle. The window to see them is short.

See photos of the Great Smoky Mountains light show Synchronous fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 3, 2025, near Gatlinburg, Tenn.© Saul Young/News Sentinel ...

A swarm of fireflies seen in New York in June 2021. "The pandemic, which is when all of these pictures are from, allowed me — or encouraged me — to make fewer pictures per night, with the result being ...