The Cypress Firefly: The Flashiest New Species Recently Discovered at Beanblossom Bottoms
By Wyatt Downey, Stewardship Intern
Fireflies are beloved by many for the way in which they ignite the sky after the sun has fallen and many of the other creatures have returned to their resting quarters for the night. Their fantastic nighttime performances have led these insects to become ingrained in everything from literature to campfire stories to memories.
Photo by Sérgio Henriques
Unfortunately, many firefly species have now found themselves following potentially tragic storylines based in reality. According to the Xerces Society, firefly species across the board are threatened by habitat degradation and loss, light pollution, pesticide use, climate change, invasive species, and over-collection.
Over 2,600 species of fireflies have been described to science worldwide, and more are discovered and described every year. In 2017, the cypress firefly was discovered by biologist Lynn Frierson Faust and has since been found in 17 sites across Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, and Indiana. This species resides in wooded wetlands and cypress swamps, which provide them with the necessary vegetation and moisture. A population of cypress fireflies was discovered at Sycamore Land Trust’s Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve in 2019. This site is of great significance because it represents the northernmost known population of cypress fireflies, and the only known site where this species occurs in the absence of cypress trees.
As a recently discovered species, knowledge of the cypress firefly and the understanding of its conservation needs are still growing. Sycamore Land Trust is committed to playing its part in the conservation of this species by protecting and restoring land throughout the Beanblossom Bottoms Conservation Area using practices informed by research. Thanks to the support of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc. and the guidance of the Xerces Society, Sycamore’s land stewardship team has been working to fill informational gaps related to the conservation needs of cypress fireflies through active monitoring of the Beanblossom population.
A flash train is the pattern of flashes a male firefly emits in regular intervals during courting. Each species’ flash train is unique. The cypress firefly’s flash train is a bright green pattern of four to nine rapid flashes followed by a one-second-long, final flash that often results in a hook-like shape. Lynn Faust
Five surveys were conducted at the nature preserve between June 18, 2024, and July 23, 2024. As the night enveloped the preserve, the land stewardship team got to work. Each survey began by recording the time of the first and last observed cypress firefly flashes and environmental conditions such as the amount of moonlight, wind, precipitation, and habitat characteristics. After general information was recorded, various other methods, including point counts, walking counts, photography, and video recordings, were employed to gather data.
The success of these surveys relied on the surveyors’ ability to recognize the cypress firefly flash pattern. Not every species of firefly flashes, but those that do possess a unique flash pattern that helps males and females recognize members of the same species. The color of their flashes can also vary, and by observing both the pattern and the color, a species’ identity can be inferred. The cypress firefly exhibits a bright green pattern of four to nine rapid flashes followed by a one-second-long, final flash that often results in a hook-like shape. In order to confirm the ID of the fireflies, individuals were caught using nets and carefully held using Ziploc bags. Close-up photos were then taken of the captured individuals, and the images were sent to Sérgio Henriques at the Global Center for Biodiversity or Richard Joyce at the Xerces Society for confirmation. Every captured firefly was released unharmed after the photographs were taken.
Point counts were conducted at four different sites throughout the property using two different methods. The first method included performing a 360-degree count where each surveyor counted the number of cypress firefly flash observations while rotating 360 degrees for a total of 45 seconds. The second method involved splitting the point count site into quadrants and having each surveyor count the number of cypress firefly flash patterns observed in their quadrant in 10 seconds. These counts were repeated three times, and the average number of observations was recorded. Walking counts were conducted between each point count location. To perform the walking counts, the surveyors were split into two groups and assigned a side of the boardwalk to monitor. The highest number of observations was recorded for both sides.
A long-exposure photograph of cypress firefly flash trains at Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve. Sérgio Henriques, Invertebrate Conservation Coordinator at the Global Center for Species Survival, Indianapolis Zoo
Using these methods, we found that the highest number of cypress firefly observations occurred between June 25 and July 2. The forested location exhibited nearly twice the number of observations compared to the other three locations when conducting point counts, and when conducting walking counts, most observations were noted within the section between the swamp deck and the forested location. The Go-Pro footage that was obtained throughout the season will be sent for review by Dr. Orit Peleg, a researcher in the BioFrontiers Institute of University of Colorado Boulder.
When conserving a species, it is important to monitor not only their populations, but also the habitats they occupy, so in addition to monitoring the cypress firefly population, the land stewardship team, with assistance from Nicolas Garza, has been conducting vegetation surveys at various sites within Beanblossom Bottoms. These surveys provide valuable insights into the variety of vegetation that occurs throughout the preserve and can help inform how cypress fireflies utilize different habitats. The land stewardship team hopes to use the data gathered over the 2024 season to further improve their monitoring methods and inform their conservation efforts as we enter the 2025 season.
This article is from the Winter-Spring 2025 issue of The Twig, “The Habitat for Herons Issue.” Read the issue at sycamorelandtrust.org/twig.
