r/australianwildlife • u/Robbytone • 2d ago

Firefly

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Firefly in Tarzali, Qld

1.6k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

74 comments sorted by

424

u/diysportscar 2d ago

Today I learned that Australia has native fireflies!

138

u/simcityrefund1 2d ago

It looks like it seeking Bluetooth connection

63

u/donkeyvoteadick 2d ago

Someone left it on pairing mode.

6

u/Eljay-89 2d ago

Or inferred maybe?

2

u/Riproot 1d ago

What is it inferring?

29

u/DollarReDoos 2d ago

Amazingly, we have 25 species here!

14

u/roscosuperdog 2d ago

No way! Damn I’m
Learning stuff today

5

u/ReddityJim 2d ago

Same, im going to take my son on a road trip to find some to watch!

5

u/Laefiren 2d ago

Huh. I thought we just had glow worms.

1

u/anafuckboi 1d ago

I saw one just like this one in the park and was gaslit by Google insisting I couldn’t have seen one

1

u/Ill_Gas9142 2h ago

Wow, I've only ever seen them in the States didn't know we had any

26

u/Mass_Redemption 2d ago

I've only seen them once as a kid in Townsville in '86. My family was doing a road trip/day boat tours to islands holiday of the GBR. There were hundreds of them. It was magical

15

u/Incredulous-Tanuki 2d ago

I get them every sep and oct, the larvae like intact native riparian vegetation and detritus (leaf litter), unfortunately that's something that is vanishing in rural and Urban areas

13

u/firstonesecond 2d ago

I've only seen them once. About 25 years ago while camping. Absolutely magical.

10

u/Eljay-89 2d ago

Saaame i was about to ask that question i had no idea we had them. 😊

8

u/return_the_urn 2d ago

I’ve seen them in the bush and didn’t know we had them either!

8

u/Hoopelle 1d ago

As an Australian, I also learnt that we have fireflies today

1

u/bluey_2022 1d ago

We do???
Ohhh my please tell me we have squirrels too lol

2

u/Kidkrid 1d ago

We did at one point...in 1898 around Perth. They were introduced and then eradicated once it became clear they were doing damage.

2

u/my_alter_ego_bitch 1d ago

Yeah they used to hang around Perth zoo, I used to love trying to spot one when I went there as a kid.

1

u/bluey_2022 1d ago

Ooooo
Ok fair
Ill just enjoy their little shenanigans from afar ☺️

1

u/SpookyCheese1307 1d ago

I went to South Perth Primary in the 90s. They were not eradicated then 😂 all over the school and the Perth zoo (which is down the road)

5

u/Wollandia 2d ago

Me too

5

u/Asleep_Fix3900 2d ago

Same 👍

5

u/iilinga 2d ago

Yes! I only saw my first one a few weeks ago

3

u/Gelelalah 2d ago

Same! That's tonight's rabbit hole to go down.

129

u/Brat_Fink 2d ago

Yeah how the fuck did i not know we have fireflies here?

75

u/DollarReDoos 2d ago

IIRC they have been heavily affected by the classic trio of habitat loss, chemicals/herbicides/pesticides, and climate change.

I think they're also most often in areas away from people, like forests and mangroves.

16

u/AusSpurs7 2d ago

Also in the United States leaf raking destroys their eggs and life cycle

7

u/Brat_Fink 2d ago

Struth

78

u/ChipSlut 2d ago

I had no idea we had native fireflies in australia until seeing some while camping in barrington tops last december. So magical.

111

u/AloysiusNewton 2d ago

You would not believe your eyes,

50

u/kweenbumblebee 2d ago

If ten million fireflies,

Lit up the world as I fell asleep.

28

u/TGin-the-goldy 2d ago

Cause they fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare

15

u/AussieDazza1 2d ago

I'd like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep Cause everything is never as it seems.

28

u/silveredstars 2d ago

Oh wow, haven’t seen fireflies since I was a kid! I remember going on school camp to some place in Victoria and we went on a bush walk to see them at night. I can’t remember where it was, but it was incredible seeing them all along the trail blinking in the dark.

9

u/zaro3785 2d ago

Glow worms

16

u/Dr_T__ 2d ago

I remember seeing on on a flywire screen in the Sunshine coast. Thought I was dreaming it until I realised I was awake

14

u/sakuratanoshiii 2d ago

I Love fireflies!!! For a while I lived on Mt Samford station in the NT and there were lots around my cottage during January and February. They always made me feel so happy to be alive!!!

7

u/Imaginary_Cattle_657 2d ago

Pairing mode enabled

6

u/CumpyGrunt 2d ago

I first saw them when we lived in Airlie. My wife, a Vet, saw one caught in a spider web so she skilfully disentangled it and set it free. Poor old spider lol.

6

u/mankyhankypanky 2d ago

Sounds like they live near a data centre lol

6

u/CelebrationFit8548 2d ago edited 2d ago

Very nice, for SEQ - The Border Ranges is the place I have seen them.

A bit of research shows;

There are more than 2,000 described species of Lampyridae fireflies, 25 of which are found in Australia. The Australian species inhabit the forests and mangroves of coastal New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.
The sole firefly species in the Sydney area is the Blue Mountains firefly (Atyphella lychnus). Despite what the name suggests, it’s not only found in the Blue Mountains region, but is spread throughout Sydney to up in south-eastern Queensland.

As adults, fireflies only live for a few days, and the reason for that is pretty morbid – they don’t have any mouthparts, so they can’t feed.
Instead, they spend their time searching for a mate, and use their lanterns to advertise their whereabouts.
Each species of firefly has its own distinct pattern of lantern flashes...

3

u/mmmbyte 1d ago

Karana Downs scout hall, follow the lions trail sign. Too late this year, they can be seen at sunset during September.

5

u/mrbubbyboi 1d ago

Yow would not beleeve yow eyes 🎶🎤 when ten meelion fireflies 🐜🔥

4

u/BedroomUpbeat 2d ago

Wow. I never knew we had them here. A little flying LED. 

4

u/elrangarino 2d ago

I’m shocked at how visible it is! I watched Attenborough talking about them and I thought maybe their glow was exaggerated unless in complete darkness

4

u/Ayido 1d ago

Yep, I was so confused a few weeks ago when I saw one, im like wtf is that, then after noticing maybe like 7 I was like wow Australia has fireflies, in my 26 years of existing never have I seen one, same as snow.

3

u/popspecks 2d ago

Never seen one of these what state is this?

4

u/OneArchedEyebrow 2d ago

Queensland.

2

u/popspecks 2d ago

So cool!

3

u/BeeInMyGarden 2d ago

Yes the leaf raking and disposal is what does it …toss it on the garden instead and it helps all sorts of insects

2

u/MissHollySmart 2d ago

This is so cool! I had no idea!

2

u/Ok-Win1188 2d ago

You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies~

2

u/Hefty-existence26196 2d ago

Reminds me of the scene from The Iron Giant when the screw starts beeping and rolls itself back home.

2

u/CardiologistNo5561 2d ago

He needs a silencer. That is freaking loud

2

u/AustisticGremlin 2d ago

I saw them for the first time this year! It was absolutely magical 💕

2

u/SilenceHasReceipts 1d ago

Fun fact- Adults live for only a few days to a couple of weeks and do not eat because they lack mouthparts; their sole purpose is to find a mate

2

u/Tso-su-Mi 1d ago

Didn’t know we even had them… cool….

2

u/b0sanac 1d ago

I haven't seen one of those since I was like 8 years old

2

u/OzDiver 11h ago

He left his hazard lights on

1

u/Southern_Chef420 2d ago

JOEL we found them

1

u/Ophelias_Muse 1d ago

When I first moved to North Queensland in the very early 80s, there were fireflies everywhere. Then the cane toads came...

Here's hoping they are coming back!

1

u/YOUR_LOCAL_MOTH 1d ago

You would not believe your eyes

1

u/Comfortable-Doubt 22h ago

What I was just about to start a rant... "well, not in Australia we don't" 😳 Ummm....FIREFLIES!?! This is incredible news how did I not know this oh my gosh my life has just changed

0

u/1Mdrops 2d ago

Yeah these pests were the reason they invented cork hats.