Where does the light in the body of a firefly come from? page all

KOMPAS.com – Fireflies is an insect that belongs to the Lampyridae, a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera or winged beetles.

It is estimated that there are more than 2,000 species fireflies distributed in temperate and tropical zones throughout the world.

Fireflies are insects that herald the arrival of summer.

Therefore, it is not surprising that fireflies will often be seen when the weather is warm.

One thing that attracts fireflies is their flaming body.

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A flaming firefly does look very beautiful, but this is not just a matter of beauty, but also the way fireflies communicate.

Reported from Earth Sky, firefly light is the result of a chemical reaction caused by an organic compound, luciferin, which is present in the firefly stomach.

When air enters the firefly’s stomach, it reacts with luciferin.

This causes a chemical reaction that produces light in the firefly.

Why do fireflies light up?

The first function of light in a firefly’s body is for safety.

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Some experts suspect the firefly’s flashy glow could be a warning to predators of the insect’s bitter taste.

However, some frogs don’t seem to mind the firefly taste.

In fact, frogs can eat so many fireflies that they themselves appear to glow.

Then, the second reason fireflies light up is to attract a mate.

Firefly light males signify their desire to mate.

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In addition, females ready to mate will also attract males with their own light.

Finally, fireflies light up to attract prey, including the fireflies themselves.

Each species of firefly has a pattern of light, but some females imitate the patterns of other species so that when a male lands next to them, the male is eaten alive.

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