Fireflies

(And I bet you thought I was going to talk about the fact that Minnesota has two Senators at last.)

I was on a Red Cross deployment a couple of years ago during the summer, and one of the other volunteers had never seen fireflies. She was amazed by the evening light show. I have always enjoyed watching this display, but I didn't realize how complex the species is. I stumbled across an article in the New York Times on the topic and discovered that

• There are 2,000 species of firefly.
  
• Different species have different light pulse sequences.
  
• Only the males flash in the air.
  
• Males provide their mate with a "nuptial gift" that enhances her egg-laying ability.
  
• There is a predator species that attacks other fireflies, attracted by the same light show that is intended for females.

So go read the article and if you're lucky enough to live where you can enjoy the nightly show, the next time you see it you'll appreciate it even more.