The fireflies flashing in the air are all males. Down in the grass, Dr. Lewis points out, females are sitting and observing. They look for flash patterns of males of their own species, and sometimes they respond with a single flash of their own, always at a precise interval after the male’s. Dr. Lewis takes out a penlight and clicks it twice, in perfect Photinus greeni. A female Photinus greeni flashes back.
“Most people don’t realize there’s this call and response going on,” Dr. Lewis said. “But it’s very, very easy to talk to fireflies.”
2 comments:
That is so awesome... I can't wait to try this! You know it's funny how all living things on this planet go about attracting the other sex...although i think humans have to be the funniest of all... :)
Yet humans continue to overpopulate this planet while tons of other species go extinct. Ugh.
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