1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: Clark and there's Charles W. Chuck Bryant over there, and 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: it's just the two of us, and we are here 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: today to present a Stuff you Should Know about fireflies 6 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: and lightning bugs, which are pretty much fun in the state. 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: I assume you're a firefly guy, right, I'm both evascillate. 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: I'm an I'm a vascillator. Really, I'll say it again, i'vacillate. Uh, 9 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: that's weird. I don't I don't know many people that 10 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: kind of interchange these. Well, I grew up in Toledo, 11 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: and I think that's where I picked up lightning bug. 12 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: And then down here in the South it's firefly. Right, 13 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: you got a backwards son. Well, then I picked up 14 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: firefly as a kid in lightning bug in the South. 15 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: That's it. Then, Yeah, it's it's I mean, I'm obviously 16 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: born and raised here forever. I just can't imagine saying fireflies. 17 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: It's just seems very strange to me. Yeah, it makes 18 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: you think of like um arsonists. No, it makes me 19 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: think of brown Coats and the TV show Okay, sure 20 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: that was a good TV show. Yeah, I mean that's 21 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: a good thing to think about for sure. But yeah, 22 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: that's the deal. Apparently in the South it's lightning bugs generally. 23 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: I think firefly out west and northeast, and then midwest 24 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: and south is lightning bug generally. Yeah, generally. I mean 25 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: there's pockets here there of weirdos who call them other 26 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: things like jack and stuff like that, but most people 27 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: see fireflies and lightning bugs is like a synonymous and interchangeable. 28 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: But apparently there's a group of firefly researchers that that differentiate. Um, 29 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: we're they use fireflies is like the umbrella term for 30 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: a few other categories. Right. Uh, there's the glow worm, 31 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: of which the ladies don't have wings and they have 32 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: a steady glow. They're they're big in the UK, huge 33 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: like big in size or just popular popular popular is 34 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: basically what I mean. They're like three ft long. Yeah. Uh. 35 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: And then you've got your daytime dark fireflies, which this 36 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: just get this out of here if you ask me, Yeah, 37 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 1: they don't even have light. So I even throw the 38 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: word firefly in there. They ruin it for everybody else. 39 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: That's the problem with using genetics for taxonomy, you know, right. Uh, 40 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: and then you've got your your flashing firefly, and that's 41 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: what we're kind of talking about here, which is the 42 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: lightning bug. Yeah, that's where it's interchangeable, the flash, flashing firefly, 43 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: lightning bug, one and the same. And we're not going 44 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: to be pedantic from this point on. But I felt 45 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: like that was worth pointing out. You know, no, I agree, Well, 46 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 1: we're going to be a little pedantic. Yeah, I guess 47 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: you're right. I forgot because fireflies aren't flies. Lightning bugs 48 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: aren't bugs. And this is there's quite a few little 49 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: facts of the podcast that you can know. This is 50 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: one of those, I think where people I don't know 51 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: a lot about lightning bugs, so they can always delight 52 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: their friends at their next backyard party by saying it. 53 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: They're actually all beatles, that's right, And everybody would be like, what, 54 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: Oh my god, you just won the party. Oh man, 55 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: I haven't won a party in so long. It's been 56 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: a while. I haven't been to a party, and so long, 57 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: even long before the pan the pandemic, I stopped getting 58 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: invited because you won too many parties. I guess I 59 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: can't have it was like having some Moan Biles over 60 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: for a gymnastics party. What. I don't get that one. 61 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: The goat thing. I don't get the goat thing. She's 62 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: the greatest of all time with the um, with the gymnastics. 63 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: I'm saying I'm the greatest of all times with party 64 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: winning with facts I was. I was. I have goats 65 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: that live across the street and I literally just fed them, 66 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: So my mind went to the animal. So I didn't 67 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: get it. Yes, all all about Simone Bile. She's great. 68 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: Take care of herself. I love it. Yeah, sure, um so, No, 69 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: I'm sorry that sounded like I was ambivalent. I agree 70 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: with you. I think it is because that she took 71 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: care of herself. I agree to Well you said the first. 72 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 1: Obviously you agree with yourself. Should we cut all that out? No, 73 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: I think that's stuffy. Should know gold. We haven't had 74 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,119 Speaker 1: some weirdo exchange. Yeah, for a while. It's been a while, 75 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: all right, Can we get back to lightning bugs? For 76 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: the love of god? Uh, they're class Oh boy, here 77 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: we go. I'm gonna say the order. Uh, Cooter, I 78 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: think you just nailed it. You just won the pronunciation party. 79 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: What you want to try the family. I've been trying 80 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: to figure this out. I think it's lampirate A. I 81 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: think that's about right because piro like fire like the bright. 82 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: It could also be lampyra Day. It's one of those two. 83 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: That's what I'm staking my claimant. I'm gonna vacillate between 84 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: Lampyriday and Lampyriday all right, but all together in this 85 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: order and family there are here in the North American continent. 86 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: They're more than a hundred and seventy species and more 87 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: than two thousand worldwide. And they're always discovering more specie. 88 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: Not always, but they're still discovering Like every day. Uh, 89 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: they're discovering more species, so that list grows and grows. Yeah, 90 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: which is pretty cool, um, especially considering that they are 91 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: dropping like flies as far as anecdotal evidence is concerned, 92 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: including anecdotal evidence from me. Yeah, me too, which we'll 93 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: get to very disappointing. So um, the thing about fireflies, 94 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: since they're a beetle family, most of them are all 95 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: winged beetles. Almost all of them are that, like you said, 96 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: some like low worms are typically include females that don't 97 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: have wings, but for the most part, they have wings, 98 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: they fly around, and like winged beetles, they have certain 99 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: parts um in particular the electria eletra eltra, I would 100 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: say eletra or electra. Okay, And that is very cool 101 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: little closure that like they're like bay doors that open 102 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: and close on the back of the of the firefly 103 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: to allow the wings to spread out to take flight. 104 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: It's really neat. It's like a DeLorean. Yeah, it is 105 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: a lot or like a like the test last uv 106 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: Oh did they open like that? That's so showy. It's 107 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: pretty cool, though, Man, what is it about those doors? 108 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: I don't know, Yeah, I know. I also love the 109 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: old Lamborghini ones would slide open ever since I was 110 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: eight something about doors like that or just just tickle me. Uh. 111 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: And they yes, those those encase the wing and protect them. 112 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: And then they also have an encased head. It's called pronotum, 113 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: and that's the covering over basically the entire head. So 114 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: if you're looking on from a bird's eye view, you're 115 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: just gonna see no, you're gonna see any face. Yeah, 116 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: it's just like a like a protect covering. It's like 117 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: you know, Jerry only from the Misfits. It's like that 118 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: get up that he wears that covers the back of 119 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: his neck and head. I don't think I've seen that. Yeah, 120 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: and it has spikes, and I can tell you that 121 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: you meet has been impaled briefly on one of those 122 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: spikes that show that Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein invited us 123 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: to Madison Square Cards. Yes, but it definitely caught our 124 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: attention because those things are not for show man. The 125 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: spikes are very pointy and their metal. Yes, okay, I 126 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: didn't if it's like Guar and it's all like phone. No, 127 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: it's it's like Guar was apparently doing like a model 128 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: of what Jerry Only was wearing all these years. Yeah, 129 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: all right, how big are these things? What did we 130 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: settle on? I know you send an update because is 131 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: that just because it was incorrect? Because seven sixteenths of 132 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: an inch it makes no sense to anyone. Well, it 133 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: said that they range in size from like seven sixteenths 134 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: of an inch to nine sixteenths of an inch. I 135 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: think that's specifically like the big Dipper firefly. Fireflies in 136 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: general typically range from about a fifth of an inch 137 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: to an inch, typically like five to twenty five millimeters, 138 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: starting in about the size of a grain of rice, 139 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: all the way up to an inch. But there's some 140 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: that are like way bigger than that. Yeah, I mean 141 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: they can be. There are some that can be as 142 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: big as the palm of your hand. But um, you know, 143 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: here in the United States is good old American ones. 144 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: You know how big they are. They're about as big 145 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,079 Speaker 1: as a you know, as big as a fingernail, that's right. 146 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: And when they fly around, they go do do do 147 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: do do do do do do do do do dude, 148 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 1: do do do do do do do. I'm gonna squirt 149 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: some light on you and you and speaking of them, 150 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: score lights. Just last thing about their body, the organ, 151 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: the light organ in their abdomen or tail is called 152 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: the lantern, which I think is love that. Yeah. So 153 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: where do you find besides backyards in the suburbs, where 154 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: do you find fireflies? Charles? Well, you can find them 155 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: on any continent except, of course, Antarctica. I feel like 156 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,679 Speaker 1: we say that a lot, poor Antarctica. Um, they are 157 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: going to be in tropical regions, temperate zones. You're gonna 158 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: see them. Uh, it depends on what stage they're in. 159 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 1: The stage that we all love, the adult stage. It's 160 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: only a couple of weeks long when they're flying around 161 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: and lightening up their bellies. Um. But mainly and we'll 162 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 1: get to their life cycle. They spend most of their 163 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: time as larva on the ground in on the forest floor, 164 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: kind of near water, usually the larval stage. They look 165 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: like little almost like little dinosaur caterpillars. They're really interesting 166 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: looking and they look nothing like you would think if 167 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: you're used to seeing like these fireflies fly around. Yeah, especially, 168 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: I mean fireflies just seem so like mild mannered and 169 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: almost kind of dopey to some extent when they're flying around. 170 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: So now when they're in the rival stages, we'll see 171 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: there holy terrors basically. But you know, they have like 172 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: all sorts of different habitats. You can find them up 173 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: in the southern provinces of Canada. You can find them 174 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: in some arid areas as long as there is permanent water, 175 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: you could conceivably have um firefly populations and even like 176 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: just you know, perpetually moist areas too. It doesn't have 177 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: to be like a pond or something, but moist, like 178 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: real moist areas. Yeah, and you're gonna see them in 179 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:46,959 Speaker 1: the humid summer evenings generally. Uh, in the south, it 180 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: can be hot all year long, so you can see 181 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: them some in the fall as well. And uh some 182 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 1: though like their outliers, Like you said, some of them 183 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: are really super aquatic, and some of them like never 184 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: come down from their trees. Uh. And these are the 185 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: ones you know, of the two thousand species all over 186 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,839 Speaker 1: the world that we're talking about, right, And um, if 187 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: you were looking for a firefly show, the best seasons 188 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: that you're going to have firefly shows are after a 189 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: warm wet spring, or even during a warm wet spring, 190 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: and or after a mild winter because those larvae that 191 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: live in those marty areas, Um, we'll have higher survival 192 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: rates in a colder climate with a mild winter during 193 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: the over wintering period. All right, I think that's a 194 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: great set up. Sure, let's get Yeah, maybe we should 195 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: take a break and reveal to everyone what the heck 196 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: they're doing with those lanterns to begin with. Huh. I 197 00:11:41,960 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: think so, all right, we'll be right back. Okay, Chuck, 198 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: We're about to act as lucifer to all these people 199 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: because we will be bringing light to understanding of how 200 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: fireflies produce light using appropriately lucifer aise. Right, uh, and 201 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: I guess we can go ahead. And since I promised 202 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: a big reveal, they're doing all this to attract a mate. 203 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 1: They're trying to get down in boogie with another lightning bug. 204 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: That's why they're lighting up like that. Oh yeah, I'm sorry, 205 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: I forgot about the reveal and the one and a 206 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: half seconds between between your your cliffhanger and coming back. Yeah. 207 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: I wonder if people think if we leave for a 208 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: hundred twenty seconds, right and just go, you know, take 209 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: a stretch or whatever, and we just sit there in 210 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: silence for here, you won't let us talk. Um. So, yeah, 211 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: they're lighting up to attract a mate. And what they're 212 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: doing here, they have these specialized cells in their abdomen 213 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: to make that lantern light up. And it contains, like 214 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: you said, that chemical called lucifer in and it makes 215 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: an enzyme called lucifer aise. If if you don't want 216 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: to sound devilish about it, that would be a fine pronunciation. 217 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: I like lucifer in and lucifer aise, But they need 218 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: something else to write. They need oxygen to make that 219 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: thing blaze. Yeah, that and a dinas scene triphosphate or 220 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: a t P, which is that that chemically stored energy 221 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: that's found in basically all cells of all life everywhere. Yeah, 222 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: it's just kind of this ubiquitous thing that kind of 223 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: makes it's what powers life. So when it all kind 224 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: of combines where you have um oxygen and a t 225 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: P and lucifer in and lucifer aise the enzyme that's 226 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: produced by by luciferen um, this chemical reaction produces light. 227 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: There's a couple of byproducts oxy lucifer in, an adena 228 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: seen monophosphate, and then lights given off. And you would 229 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: think like, okay, light and heat. Sure that's the chemical reaction, 230 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: so it's going to produce some heat now, Absolutely not. 231 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: Here's one of those facts of the podcast. In my opinion, 232 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: they call the kind of light that fireflies produced, the 233 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: kind of bioluminescence that fireflies produced um cold light because 234 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: it is one efficient. No, none of that the energy 235 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: released from that chemical reaction is lost to heat. It 236 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: is all um. It just produces photons only. Yeah, and 237 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: that's why children can let a lightning bug land on 238 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: their finger and that little abdomen that lantern can light 239 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: up on their finger and they don't go al and 240 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: smash it. Yeah, try that with the sparkler. Don't do that. 241 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: It doesn't work. The light is the actual light, and 242 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: the wavelength is between five tin and six and seventy nanometers. 243 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: It looks yellowish to me. It looks a little greenish. 244 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: It's been described as reddish green, but it looks like 245 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: a yellowish green to me. It depends on the I think, yeah, yeah, 246 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: I think there's ones that even give off blue. Right. Yeah, 247 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: there's some around Asheville called the blue ghost firefly, and 248 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: from a distance they look blue, but up close, if 249 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: you catch one and hold it in your hand, it, um, 250 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: it's like a it's like a greenish thing. So it 251 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: has something to do with the distance that makes it 252 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: look blue. But I saw pictures of those things and 253 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, I want to go see those one day. 254 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: Asheville is a nice weekend trip. Sure, it's beautiful up there. 255 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: Do you guys ever go up there? No? No, even 256 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago. It's it's great. Go to 257 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: the what's it called the Big House? Sure, the who's 258 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: its name? I don't know why I'm blanking. Yeah, But 259 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: there's also like the mountains around their need and like 260 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: the town itself has a lot of great restaurants, it 261 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: look one for vegan food, you could do a lot 262 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: worse than all or craft beer, homemade chocolate. Just don't 263 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: go to the Built Moorehouse during Christmas. Well, I just 264 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: think it's better non Christmas. Like the Christmas is so 265 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: done there that I feel like it obscures a lot 266 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: of the beauty of their Builtmore House. And that kind 267 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: of Christmas stuff that they put up is not my style. 268 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: It's just it's just a lot. Is it like the 269 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: Belk style of Christmas? Yeah, ribbons, Yeah, I'm with It's 270 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: not my thing. And the Built Moore stands on its own, 271 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: it doesn't need all that garbage. But that's just my opinion. 272 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: Like I like my Christmas gaudy. Plus you don't get 273 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: the gardens that you would. Uh, it's just me. We 274 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: made the big mistake of going there in Christmas one time. 275 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: Never happened again. It was the worst mistake, was the 276 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: worst and once with my car. Here's another uh cool 277 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: fat of the show I think is that the lightning 278 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: bugs all have gout, or they could very well have 279 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: gout because those cells that make that light are riddled 280 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: with uric acid crystals, just like you have as a 281 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 1: human with gout. But they do it because they are 282 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: crystals to reflect that light away from their little abdomen. Yeah, 283 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: it's just like the lenses they used in Robert Agger's masterpiece, 284 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 1: The Lighthouse. Yeah, oh boy, what a movie. I just 285 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: wanted to slide a reference in. Uh. And in order 286 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: to get that oxygen, we've been saying it needs oxygen. 287 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: You're probably calling, how in the world do they get it? Uh, 288 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: It is not just gathered through the air. It actually 289 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: goes through a tube in the abdomen called the abdominal trichea, 290 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: which is very interesting. Yeah, they're not exactly sure if 291 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: fireflies are able to turn the supply of oxygen on 292 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: or off. It's almost like how you it would inject 293 00:17:56,080 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: fuel into a combustion engine. They are injecting oxygen into 294 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: their lucifhrase engine um and producing light with it. But 295 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: they don't know if they can use nerves to turn 296 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,239 Speaker 1: it on and off, or if they're just you know, 297 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: subject to the whims of oxygen availability. We just don't 298 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: know at this point. We just don't. Uh. And now 299 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,959 Speaker 1: here's how I understand this next bit and you can 300 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: correct me if I'm wrong. But they use UM, this 301 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: chemical reaction that happens in fireflies to produce that bioluminescence. Uh, 302 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: they can use that. You know, we said the a 303 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: T P, like every animal on the planet has a TP, 304 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: but if you're if you have cell damage, maybe you 305 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: might not have as much, or if it's disease, you 306 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: may not have enough. And do they actually use this 307 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 1: bioluminescence to inject in the cells to see if they 308 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: get that glowy reaction that they're looking for. Yeah, they 309 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: use it for that to make sure that the cells 310 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: have an expected amount of a TP, to locate cells 311 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: that don't have enough a TP, because that would suggest 312 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 1: there's some sort of problem going on there. And then 313 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: UM also they figured out how to attach the lucifer 314 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: in gene to other genes using I believe crisper um, 315 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: which ties into our optogenetics episode UM, where they're using 316 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: like the light that's produced by this bioluminous and to 317 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: turn on and off nearby jeans, which is nuts. But 318 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,439 Speaker 1: the thing the thing I saw that UM that this 319 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: luciphrase was used for most abundantly especially in the twentieth century, 320 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: was to detect spoilage in like food like milk, because 321 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: if you had bacteria growing in your milk, if you 322 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: added luciphrase, the milk would start to glow because the 323 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: lucifhrase would interact with the A T P in those 324 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: bacterial cells, and you would know you needed to pour 325 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,640 Speaker 1: some bleach in with your milk. Right, Oh, don't ever 326 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,640 Speaker 1: do that. Don't ever drink glowing milk, and don't ever 327 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 1: pour bleach and drink it in anything. But apparently we 328 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,040 Speaker 1: humans have like no problems ingesting and working with a 329 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: phrase it doesn't do anything bad to our bodies as 330 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,959 Speaker 1: far as right now, which is pretty interesting. Alright, so 331 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: now we I know everyone's like, this is all great 332 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: chemical reactions and stuff, but I would really love to 333 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,880 Speaker 1: talk about the sexy stuff because anytime we talk about 334 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,440 Speaker 1: animals and insects, we always get to talk about sexy stuff, 335 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 1: which is a lot of fun. It's basically our only outlet, 336 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: it really is, except when we you know, blush our 337 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: way through episodes on puberty and stuff, or see a 338 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: good pair of goal wing doors open up on a car, right, 339 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: and of course puberty isn't sexy stuff. I hope that 340 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: didn't come across the right. I think that was a 341 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: good safe Uh So when they're flashing, like we said, 342 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: it is, um, it is a mating ritual, and it 343 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: is usually the male flashing their light high above the 344 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 1: sky or high above the yard in the sky to 345 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: show off to females who are on the ground kind 346 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: of sitting around having a glass of wine and they're 347 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: watching the light show and they're like, what do you 348 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: think of that one, marge, And they're like, well, he 349 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: looks okay, so let me flash back. And they'll flash back, 350 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: and then the mail will see that and they'll say, hey, 351 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: she just swiped. I don't know if it's left or right, 352 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,959 Speaker 1: but in the correct direction. And uh, let me go 353 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: down and see if we can have a little party 354 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 1: for the next few hours. Yeah, because that's how long 355 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: they couple, And by couple, I mean like have sex. 356 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: They stick together for like an hour or multiple hours, chuck, 357 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: which is pretty impressive. Agreed. Um, Yeah, an hour to 358 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:35,160 Speaker 1: three hours. That's that's great. Good for them, right, I'm 359 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,400 Speaker 1: really happy for them. Uh. Here's the cool thing too, though, 360 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: is each species has its own little blinkie pattern because 361 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: they want to mate with the appropriate match and so 362 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: they're gonna send out their blinkie pattern. Um. In some 363 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: places around the world they are synchronous. I think Southeast 364 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: Asia has the only like really really truly synchronous lightning bugs, 365 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: and that they all blink in unison, which really must 366 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: be cool to see. Yeah, and I guess the messages 367 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: like come and get it all. It was like kind 368 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 1: of in a creepy Children of the Damned right tone. 369 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,400 Speaker 1: Other places, I think they can synchronize, but they don't 370 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: become like completely synchronous as a unit, right, No. I 371 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: mean they will like in little localized areas and for 372 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: a few seconds only. And you've probably seen this and 373 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 1: didn't necessarily recognize what you were looking at. But this 374 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: is like when I thought about it, I was like 375 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: I was having trouble understanding it from the written description, 376 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: and I thought about it and thought about it. I 377 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 1: sat down for a little while, thought about it some more, 378 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: and finally like, yeah, of course, um, I mean that's 379 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: just a given. And then I finally was like, Okay, 380 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: I I think I got this, and I think I've 381 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 1: seen this before. You'll just see a few fireflights to 382 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: start to kind of like fall into a rhythm, and 383 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: then they fall out of the rhythm after a few flashes. 384 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: That's still considered synchronous. You give them a Yeah, they're 385 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: trying their best. They haven't oxygen, abdomen trichi god. So yeah. Well, 386 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,120 Speaker 1: one of the things I saw that that I thought 387 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: was like really really interesting is um. As we'll see 388 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 1: when we talk about what they eat. Most of the 389 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: adults that you see flying around either don't eat or 390 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: maybe eat plants, stuff like nectar and pollen. But there's 391 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: this one kind of firefly which is actually pretty abundant 392 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:35,199 Speaker 1: in um in North America, the photourist species, where the 393 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: female of this species will actually mimic the female of 394 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: a rival species, Photinus, right, and they'll attract males from 395 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 1: the other species the Photinus species to come over thinking 396 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: that they're going to mate, and then what they find 397 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: out is that, oh wait, this is the one female 398 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: of the one species that is actually um going to 399 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: eat me, that is actually predatory against other fireflies, and 400 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 1: now I'm dead. Yeah, they're tricksters because the male uh 401 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: folturists can also imitate another male Photinus to attract a 402 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: female of its own species. So she shows up thinking 403 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: that she might have food, and he's like, oh no, 404 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 1: it's it's time to get down in boogie. That's right. 405 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: And then beyond that, chuck it goes even one more 406 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: level deeper because they're pretty sure. And there's this really 407 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: great website called firefly dot org. It's run by a 408 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: guy named Ben Peiffer. From what I understand, he seems 409 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,479 Speaker 1: to be quite dedicated to fireflies. But he uh, this 410 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: is the only place I saw it. But he was 411 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:49,159 Speaker 1: saying that some researchers think that male folturists, no male photinus, 412 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: the ones that end up sometimes being food for female 413 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: fo tourists. Male foutinesses have figured out how to put 414 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: off bad um flash patterns that make it look like 415 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: a female folturists impersonating a male Photinus to scare off 416 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: other male patiness fireflies so that it reduces competition for 417 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: female potesses. And that's kind of brain breaking, it really is. 418 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: But this is apparently what the fireflies are doing with 419 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 1: their time, that and getting down and boogie in. Like 420 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: we said, it's a few hours, one to three hours 421 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: of that, and when this happens, the male is gonna 422 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: transfer his sperm packet to the female. And they call 423 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: this in the field of studying this in entomology, they 424 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: call it a nuptial gift that the male gives a female. 425 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: And this all occurs um individually over like we said, 426 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: a few hours, but a few days total of mating 427 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: that's gonna happen, usually in the spring. Then the lady 428 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: is gonna lay her fertilized eggs either on the ground 429 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: or just below the surface in the maybe in some 430 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 1: rotting logs or and you know, multi sort of leaves 431 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: and things like that. Gotta be moist. And then three 432 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 1: or four weeks later they're gonna hatch out those little 433 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: larvae who were going to live on the ground, terrorizing 434 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: their neighbors for about two years. And in the meantime, 435 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 1: mom and dad have gone off and died because they 436 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: only live as adults for a few weeks. But you 437 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 1: said it, there's larvae live for two up to two years. 438 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: It's by far the longest part of the life cycle. 439 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:32,560 Speaker 1: And they are terrors of the miniature world down there, yes, 440 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: they and they have mandibles and they inject their prey 441 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: and paralyze them with neurotoxins. And then and I know 442 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: we've talked about some other insects that do this. They 443 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: they secrete these enzymes that basically liquefy what they're trying 444 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: to eat, so they can just suck it up. It's 445 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 1: like a seth brindle fly. Yeah exactly. Uh. And then 446 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:59,120 Speaker 1: in that stage, they they'll eat worms, and worms will 447 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 1: also eat them return the favor. But they'll eat snails, 448 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: elat slugs, they'll eat other insects, and they're just down 449 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,959 Speaker 1: there kind of wreaking havoc and then also trying not 450 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 1: to get eaten. Yeah, because it goes both ways in 451 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: that world. Um and frogs apparently will eat firefly larva 452 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: pretty pretty commonly. They'll also eat firefly adults that land 453 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: on the ground. I think snakes leap firefly adults on 454 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: the ground. Some birds I think ducks do, but it's 455 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: not necessarily on purpose. They might just get swept up 456 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: with some other actual duck food they might caught up 457 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: in the frenzy pretty much. And then fish also like 458 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: to eat um, firefly eggs and larva that are like 459 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: in marshy areas, like rice paddies or things like that. 460 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: But Apparently the most widespread and abundant predators against firefly 461 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: larva are spiders. But don't feel bad, because firefly larva 462 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: eats spiders as well. And there are also some spiders 463 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: that have learned, like, you know, really want to eat 464 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,640 Speaker 1: a firefly. I'm I'm kind of scared of those things. 465 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: That turns out. Yeah, so here's the deal. They You know, 466 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: when you see them flying around, they're flying around very 467 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: sort of lazily. They're lighting up their lanterns, broadcasting that 468 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: they're out there. Uh. And the reason that they're broadcasting 469 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,400 Speaker 1: their presence is like you would think that that's not good, like, oh, 470 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: you know, a bird will swooped down and eat me 471 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: because they clearly see me flying around. That's actually a 472 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: warning sign because they're not great flyers. They're not gonna 473 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: dodge you in out maneuver you Maverick style in a dogfight. 474 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: They're gonna secrete these nasty um I guess they're toxins 475 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: that are really really bitter. They really kind of stink. 476 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: I think if you're studying fire flies and you have 477 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: like thousands of them in a room, it can kind 478 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: of be pretty stinky in there. Yeah. A nauseating odor 479 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: when ten thousand to twenty thousand are confined and yeah, 480 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: that was one researchers quote. Um. So what they do 481 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: is as they deliver this bitter like I think they 482 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: secrete if you, drops of blood, and it's just this 483 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 1: toxic bitter taste that you know everything's eating them, but 484 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: everything is also like, oh God, why did I just 485 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: eat that? Yeah, And apparently this this toxin that they create, 486 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: luci bifhagens, which is not a great word. Um. It 487 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: is akin to those neurotoxins that some like poisonous tree 488 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 1: frogs produced and secrete. UM. So it could conceivably kill 489 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: some things. And I think that might be the same 490 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: neurotoxin that that the um larvae uses venom to paralyze 491 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: poor slugs and stuff like that. Um. But some species 492 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: have been like, you don't want to eat like fireflies, 493 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: Like in in one study of trying to feed them 494 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: to lizards mix in with meal worms, the lizards will 495 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:51,719 Speaker 1: like like swipe basically spit out and wipe away like 496 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: the firefly and then wipe its snout with its forearm 497 00:29:55,240 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: like gross. It's that was disgusting. A think bats learned 498 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: Bats are smart. You know, we have a great episode 499 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: on bats and they have learned not to eat them 500 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: because they did a study in Boise State where they uh, 501 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: they coded their ab the little lanterns with paint so 502 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: the bats couldn't see them, and the bats started eating them. 503 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: But it didn't take very long till the bats were 504 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: like literally spitting them out and saying, ah, you jerks, 505 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: why are you painting those lanterns. That's I don't want 506 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: to eat those things. We learned not to eat those things, right. 507 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: And they also found that bats that I guess hadn't 508 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: been exposed to fireflies before, um, if they didn't paint 509 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: the fireflies, those bats learned even faster to avoid fireflies 510 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: because of the Bible luminescence. So what these Boise State 511 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: researchers who conducted that studies concluded was that the bioluminescence, 512 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: the flashing of fireflies and lightning bugs um actually developed 513 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,479 Speaker 1: as a way to warn off predators, including bats, and 514 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 1: that it probably co evolved with that predation and then 515 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: became the main trait that it is now, which is 516 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: a courtship ritual later on, but that it had a 517 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: different purpose at first. That's pretty interesting. Yeah, and they 518 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: think this because, um, I think in some species the 519 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: eggs in the larvae actually glow as well, and they're 520 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: clearly not mating. So no, not yet, not for hours 521 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 1: at a time. I can tell you. All right, Uh, 522 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: let's take another break maybe, and we'll talk about why 523 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: these blightning bugs are disappearing. Almost said the F word, 524 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: and uh, what we can do about it? Right after this, Chuck, 525 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 1: I think it is one of the addist things on 526 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 1: planet Earth. Yea, and I mean that quite actually, that 527 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: fireflies are vanishing very quickly, because we're talking about an 528 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: enormous drop. And again this is largely anecdotal from people 529 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: at a certain age, like our age group grew up 530 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: like seeing tons of fireflies, like so many fireflies you 531 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: couldn't it never even occurred to you that they could 532 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: possibly go away to where they're just gone in some 533 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 1: places now or in in my backyard in in Atlanta, 534 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, if I see five or six, 535 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: I'm like, it's a good night tonight, whereas before it 536 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 1: was like the whole yard would have been filled up 537 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: with it twenty years ago. And it's really distressing to 538 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: think of a world without fireflies, and that seems like 539 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: where we're headed, and it's all our fault, basically, it 540 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 1: really is. It's um. I see them a lot more 541 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: at my house than I do. UM I feel like 542 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: elsewhere in our neighborhood because our yard is crazy and 543 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: it's wild and it's you know, we don't spray for 544 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: mosquitoes or use pesticides or anything like that. So we 545 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 1: have a pretty good like wild habitat back there for 546 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 1: all kinds of insects. Um. But you know, for a 547 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: long time they were harvested I think in different parts 548 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: of the world. Uh, they were harvested commercially in Japan 549 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: the Gingi firefly, and then in the US from sixty 550 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:33,479 Speaker 1: to about ninety five, the Sigma Chemical Company harvested about 551 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: three million a year to get that uh, that lucifhrase 552 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: and loose friend. Yeah. Apparently they sold it to the 553 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: biomedical industry who would use it to like detect spoiled 554 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: milk and stuff like that. Exactly. No, for real, that's 555 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: what they were. That's what all those are harvested for. 556 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: Saying all that stuff we already talked about, that's what 557 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 1: they needed it for. A hundred million fireflies over that 558 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: like thirty something year period, we're harvested by for their 559 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: loose phrase. And unfortunately, somebody, some saint patron saint of 560 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:08,760 Speaker 1: fireflies and I think that's Nathan Fillion. You're right, Nathan 561 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:14,280 Speaker 1: Phillion synthesized um lucipher ase and it started to become 562 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 1: widely available and cheaper, and so they lit the fireflies alone. 563 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: After that, Why did it take fifteen years to seize 564 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,560 Speaker 1: it just to roll it out? I guess I think 565 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:25,439 Speaker 1: it was more like ten, and it was probably really 566 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,839 Speaker 1: expensive at first, and then it took about ten years 567 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 1: for them to figure out how to produce it mass 568 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 1: produce it cheaply. And then the Sigma Chemical Company was like, 569 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: it's a penny less than the lightning bug was sold. Um. 570 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,800 Speaker 1: So yeah, you are seeing fewer fireflies. It's not a 571 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: figment of your imagination. Um. They surveyed I think three 572 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: fifty lightning bug experts and they said it's really three things, 573 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:57,240 Speaker 1: and they're all because of us. It's habitat loss, toxic chemicals, 574 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: and light pollution. UM, habitat loss they have. I don't 575 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: think we mentioned this. Is to me that one of 576 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: the coolest facts of the show is that if you 577 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: see a lightning bug in your backyard, then it's it 578 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: was it has a very high likelihood of being born 579 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: in your backyard. It's really they're super super localized. And 580 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 1: I just love the thought of that that they sort 581 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 1: of live on your property. Yeah, I mean, like that's 582 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,880 Speaker 1: that's that's their whole world, right there is your little backyard. 583 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: So it kind of makes you like when I heard that, 584 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I want to I want to 585 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: nurture that and take care of it. Like these these 586 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: are like family. Basically, they're like yard family. You know, 587 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 1: they're not interlopers or not neighbors. They're like they belong 588 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 1: in your yard. That's their yard in a lot of ways. 589 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,759 Speaker 1: So it's I thought that was kind of neat to realize. Um. 590 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 1: One of the problems of that is the chuck is 591 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,719 Speaker 1: that they don't migrate very very well, if at all. 592 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,839 Speaker 1: So if if you disrupt their habitat and kill off 593 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,320 Speaker 1: the firefly population, they're like that they might be gone 594 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 1: until unless you go find some other firefly larva and 595 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,240 Speaker 1: bring them back, Like a new group is not necessarily 596 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: going to migrate in and repopulate the area. Yeah, And 597 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: this is like we're looking at you individual homeowner. Like 598 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: you can say, like the contractor who comes in and 599 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 1: bulldozes a forest to build a neighborhood. And that's certainly true. 600 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 1: But if you say, you know what I don't like, Uh, 601 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 1: I don't have a view of blank. So I'm going 602 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: to cut down these seven trees in my backyard to 603 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:28,880 Speaker 1: have a big golf course like seeing, Um, you're disrupting 604 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,239 Speaker 1: their habitat by doing that. Yeah, for sure, I don't 605 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: want to be too judgy, but I am very much 606 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: judging you. Well, I think we should take the other 607 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,799 Speaker 1: tech and and then promote things people can do, so 608 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: I get I'm interested on the one hand, and then 609 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: layam with the haymaker of how they can all right, 610 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: how they can help. One of the other problems is um, 611 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: artificial light at night? Chuck? Yeah, Allen A l A 612 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,439 Speaker 1: n it is uh, you know light blue. We should 613 00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: do a whole episode on light blution or something that 614 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: right out of my mouth. How do they smell? Gross? Um? 615 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 1: Oh weird? Did you have a fritata for breakfast? How? Yeah? 616 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 1: Can you smell the olives them? There? You can smell 617 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:14,919 Speaker 1: them on the words. So we're talking about everything from 618 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: just street lights and business lights and any any kind 619 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:21,759 Speaker 1: of light you would find in an urban or more 620 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: suburban or suburban area, to something called sky glow, which 621 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: is that just more diffuse illumination that you kind of 622 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 1: see everywhere as well now, and that can be so 623 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: bright it can exceed full moon levels. And you know, 624 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: I see that stuff a little bit out at the 625 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 1: camp even in the middle of the woods. You can 626 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 1: see that skyglow sort of on the lower horizon offt 627 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: pudding it is. But when you're a lightning bug and 628 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 1: like you rely on light to find mates, if you're 629 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: distracted by a bright light um or the light that 630 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:59,439 Speaker 1: you're putting out is being drowned out by competing artificial light, 631 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,520 Speaker 1: that's a real problem and that can that can lead 632 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,239 Speaker 1: to a decline in the population so um especially when 633 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:09,520 Speaker 1: you combine habitat loss with you know, somebody keeping their 634 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: back porch light on all night, every night, year round. 635 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 1: That's that's not good for the lightning bugs and it's 636 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,840 Speaker 1: a big problem for them. So too our cars, because 637 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:23,320 Speaker 1: so many fireflies and lightning bugs live in wooded areas. 638 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:25,919 Speaker 1: We've built so many roads through the woods that when 639 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,879 Speaker 1: people drive through there at night. Those car lights can 640 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: actually create problem for their courtship and they're hours long 641 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: coupling as well, that's right. Uh. And then the last thing, 642 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: of course is you know, if you're using pesticides and 643 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:44,520 Speaker 1: herbicides on your lawn and in your yard, you're killing 644 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,520 Speaker 1: all kinds of things, including lightning bugs. If you're spraying 645 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 1: for mosquitoes, you are you are wrecking the pollinating system 646 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:57,960 Speaker 1: in your in your property and killing lightning bugs. And uh, 647 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: I am not going to judge because US told me 648 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 1: not to, But don'ts pray for mosquitoes. Just don't. That's 649 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 1: supposed to be a last resort. Like, there's so many 650 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: other things you can do to get rid of mosquitoes 651 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 1: beyond just spraying for them. And then yeah, not just 652 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: the mosquito spray, but any neo nicotinoid pesticide is really 653 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:23,320 Speaker 1: bad for basically every insect in the area, including bees. 654 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,840 Speaker 1: Remember our colony collapse episode. Yeah, so saying all the 655 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,799 Speaker 1: all the pollinators are being affected, just it's devastating. But 656 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,480 Speaker 1: in addition to the chemicals too, you can mow your 657 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 1: lawn too much. Um our our lawns actually make a 658 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 1: pretty good habitat in the absence of other like habitats 659 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: that lightning bugs prefer. If you keep your your grass 660 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,320 Speaker 1: long enough, you want to kind of provide a buffer 661 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: between the mower blade and the lightning bug. So if 662 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 1: you cut your grass a lot and keep it nice 663 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: and trim, may want to consider growing it out, you know, 664 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: beyond like say the two inch length, and you can 665 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 1: mow it. I just know that when you're mowing it, 666 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:05,839 Speaker 1: you're also stepping on and crushing lightning bug larvae too. So, um, 667 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 1: just be thoughtful when you mow your lawn. How about that? Yeah, 668 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:13,879 Speaker 1: be thoughtful. Um. Mulching is a great idea. I just 669 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 1: I'm actually down to kind of almost zero grass, but 670 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 1: when I did have grass, I would just multum. I'm 671 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:24,239 Speaker 1: not a big fan of raking leaves. Um, certainly as 672 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 1: a stuff you should know, co host, I'm not a 673 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 1: fan of blowing leaves because we know that you are 674 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 1: of the devil if you're doing that, right, Yeah, what, 675 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:37,160 Speaker 1: you don't hate leaf blowers anymore? I hate leaf blowers, 676 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 1: but I use one now. Oh, I know things have changed. 677 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:46,640 Speaker 1: I feel like I should really I needed to fess 678 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 1: up about it. It's it's battery powered, and I use 679 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,920 Speaker 1: it sparingly. But yes, I have a leaf blower. I 680 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:53,640 Speaker 1: do too. I never hated him like you did. I 681 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 1: just don't think you should like blow your whole lawn 682 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 1: like out in the street. I use it totally, so 683 00:40:57,560 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 1: it's just to blow my leaves off my deck back 684 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:02,239 Speaker 1: into my yard. You know who hates the sound of 685 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 1: the leaf blower almost violently? Is David Spade? Really? Yeah? 686 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:09,920 Speaker 1: If you follow my Instagram, probably one out of every 687 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: five posts is like him, just like ripping into some 688 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,839 Speaker 1: guy who's using a leaf blower over like on the 689 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 1: other end of his neighborhood. He hates leaf blowers. We'll 690 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:25,200 Speaker 1: have to exchange brands because I don't know if your's 691 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,960 Speaker 1: as good. But I got a great cordless battery powered 692 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 1: blower that's super powerful. I used the de Walt battery power. 693 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: It's pretty great. Okay, what do you use? I can't 694 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:36,640 Speaker 1: remember the name of it. Have to good. Look. Is 695 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 1: it one of those like Eco ones or Orange? Is 696 00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 1: probably husk Varnae Echo No, no, no no, no, it's not 697 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:45,720 Speaker 1: one of those big brands. I think it's like works 698 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:49,839 Speaker 1: like w O r xx. Yeah. Yeah, they're good too. Boy, 699 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:52,680 Speaker 1: I was always like, uh, those battery power and don't 700 00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: have the juice you need, but these have to do. Now, 701 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:57,160 Speaker 1: Yeah they have. I mean I've got a battery powered 702 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 1: lawn mower that I charged one time and still just 703 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 1: cuts like crazy, like you know, a year after the 704 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 1: first time I charged it. They definitely would. That's what 705 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:09,040 Speaker 1: I got to if they last a long time. So um, chuck. 706 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 1: One thing you said about blowing leaves out into the 707 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: yard around into like like your curb or something like that, 708 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,920 Speaker 1: or even raking them up and like like removing them, 709 00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 1: like that is where firefly lava live. So you're removing 710 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:25,640 Speaker 1: the firefly lava from your yard to god knows where, 711 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:27,759 Speaker 1: probably not someplace where they're going to be cared for 712 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:32,200 Speaker 1: and repopulate, probably going to die in the bargain. So yes, 713 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:34,239 Speaker 1: if you're if you really care about your grass, you're 714 00:42:34,239 --> 00:42:36,880 Speaker 1: not just gonna leave leaves on there. But you know, 715 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:40,719 Speaker 1: if you have garden beds, you could do that. Apparently 716 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: you don't want to clean up your garden in the fall. 717 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,280 Speaker 1: You want to just leave it as is over the winter, 718 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 1: because that is a habitat for all sorts of great 719 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:52,759 Speaker 1: creatures that keep your soil going, including firefly larva. Um, 720 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:54,719 Speaker 1: and then you clean it up in the spring, and 721 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: if you don't do like rake your leaves off of 722 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,239 Speaker 1: your lawn, don't just throw them away, like put them 723 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:02,279 Speaker 1: in paper bag and keep them wet, like maybe under 724 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,640 Speaker 1: a tree for the winter, and then work them into 725 00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 1: the soil in the spring, and you've got a great 726 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:11,839 Speaker 1: yard suddenly for the firefly larva that you just kind 727 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:15,080 Speaker 1: of helped nurture over the winter. Yeah. Plus it's great 728 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:18,800 Speaker 1: for your garden beds. It's just really super rich, uh, 729 00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:22,160 Speaker 1: good stuff, it really is. What else you said, Basically, 730 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:24,879 Speaker 1: you don't want to cut down those trees to give 731 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:26,839 Speaker 1: yourself a golf course view. You want to kind of 732 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 1: leave parts of your yard wild too, right, Yeah, I 733 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:32,880 Speaker 1: mean my backyard now is a little too wild for 734 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:37,719 Speaker 1: my taste. Um, it's pretty crazy. Oh man, I gotta 735 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: come over and see it. Yeah, it's you know, Yeah, 736 00:43:41,239 --> 00:43:44,480 Speaker 1: i mean, Emily went nuts planning things over the past 737 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:47,319 Speaker 1: few years, and it's just, uh, it's something else. It's 738 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: like it's it feels like a a science experiment going 739 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 1: on back there. Yeah. Um, so yeah, we let it 740 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:57,279 Speaker 1: go wild. But you can just let parts of your 741 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:00,440 Speaker 1: like designate a corner of your yard and let that 742 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:02,759 Speaker 1: kind of go a little bit crazy. Remember remember when 743 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 1: we studied dar one years ago, how he would just 744 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:07,840 Speaker 1: let everything go crazy because he could just study so 745 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,799 Speaker 1: much more stuff. Yeah, and like if you have like 746 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:13,439 Speaker 1: a tree line or something on the fringes of your yard, 747 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:15,359 Speaker 1: let that go crazy. Let it grow out a little 748 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: bit more, like you know, like leave some of the 749 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:20,640 Speaker 1: shrubs you think are kind of ugly that are growing 750 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:23,239 Speaker 1: in there, or replace them with native shrubs even better, 751 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:25,520 Speaker 1: or like it can be as simple as if a 752 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:29,160 Speaker 1: tree falls down in your yard and it's not like 753 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:31,680 Speaker 1: covering the grass, just leave it where it is and 754 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 1: let it rock. That's a great firefly habitat right there. Totally. 755 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:38,279 Speaker 1: The final thing you can do, well, there's a couple 756 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 1: of things. But turn those lights off. You've got big 757 00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:43,879 Speaker 1: old yard spotlights. I don't know what you're doing, but 758 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:47,680 Speaker 1: no one wants that. Your neighbors don't want that. Fireflies 759 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 1: don't want that. Uh, nobody likes that. At least put 760 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:52,839 Speaker 1: them on like a motion sensitive thing that turns off 761 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: after like a minute. Yeah, yeah, that's that's fine, But yeah, 762 00:44:56,239 --> 00:44:58,759 Speaker 1: turn those lights off. Try and make it dark. And 763 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: then this last thing is something and I'm really bummed 764 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:02,360 Speaker 1: that I missed out on this year. I did not 765 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,440 Speaker 1: know about it, but I'm definitely gonna sign up. It's 766 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:09,560 Speaker 1: called the Vanishing Firefly Project, and what they do is 767 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:13,719 Speaker 1: offer up an app that's for free and you on 768 00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:18,160 Speaker 1: three different days they have a census June six, July four, 769 00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:21,800 Speaker 1: in August one where you go out and you count 770 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:26,600 Speaker 1: fireflies or lightning bugs in your yard for a certain 771 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:28,760 Speaker 1: amount of time and then enter that into the census 772 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:32,080 Speaker 1: and they're getting a pretty robust like body of data 773 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 1: from this. Yeah, there's another group called Firefly Watch from 774 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:39,120 Speaker 1: the Museum of Science in Boston, UM and they have 775 00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:43,680 Speaker 1: an even more extensive census. But it's basically like citizen 776 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:48,080 Speaker 1: scientists contributing to too much needed data because, like we 777 00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:50,600 Speaker 1: were saying, all the stuff about the fireflies vanishing is 778 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:54,920 Speaker 1: anecdotal um and only now our researchers really starting to 779 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:57,760 Speaker 1: turn to studying the issues so we can figure out 780 00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:00,560 Speaker 1: what the biggest problems are and how to aviate them 781 00:46:00,600 --> 00:46:04,360 Speaker 1: so we don't lose fireflies because nobody wants that. I 782 00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:06,799 Speaker 1: don't care how nihilistic you are, I don't care how 783 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:10,200 Speaker 1: little you care about anything. If you stopped and really 784 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,920 Speaker 1: searched your feelings, you would find that you don't want 785 00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:20,680 Speaker 1: a world without fireflies. Agreed or lightning bugs. Agreed even more, 786 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:22,839 Speaker 1: And I have to say, Chuck, I really feel like 787 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,560 Speaker 1: we brought the country together much needed by using both 788 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:32,560 Speaker 1: fireflies and lightning bugs in this episode. Agreed. Okay, Well, 789 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,719 Speaker 1: since Chuck said agreed at least three times, it's time 790 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:40,920 Speaker 1: for listener mail. I'm gonna call this hot off the presses. 791 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:45,880 Speaker 1: Hey guys, this is Kelsey from Chico, California. I'm a 792 00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:48,279 Speaker 1: counselor and professor at local community college and I've never 793 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:52,800 Speaker 1: gotten sarcasm. My family is very blunt, and if anyone 794 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:56,759 Speaker 1: is sarcastic, well I wouldn't know it. I start all 795 00:46:56,760 --> 00:47:01,520 Speaker 1: my classes. That was sarchasm, right, don't think so? I 796 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:04,080 Speaker 1: start all my classes explaining that I'm being genuine. And 797 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:07,160 Speaker 1: if you think I said something sarcastic, I didn't. But 798 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:10,240 Speaker 1: in the podcast you mentioned the individuals that are neuro 799 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:14,719 Speaker 1: uh atypical might not get sarcasm. My friends who work 800 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:17,799 Speaker 1: in special education of totally used hand signs with me 801 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:22,000 Speaker 1: when they're being sarcastic in your podcast, which I've listened 802 00:47:22,040 --> 00:47:24,920 Speaker 1: to from the beginning. I only know Josh is being 803 00:47:24,920 --> 00:47:28,239 Speaker 1: sarcastic when I think that was kind of mean, and 804 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:33,520 Speaker 1: then Chuck giggles a little bit. That's the tell I guess. Yeah. Uh. 805 00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:36,080 Speaker 1: When my husband is sarcastic and he gets a double laugh, 806 00:47:37,080 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: meaning he laughs at himself for the joke, I do 807 00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:41,279 Speaker 1: that a lot and then giggles a little when he 808 00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:44,400 Speaker 1: has to explain it to me, that's when I know 809 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:48,600 Speaker 1: he's being sarcastic. Uh. Anyway, you two are great and 810 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:51,960 Speaker 1: often use your podcast as another form of learning in 811 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:55,279 Speaker 1: my courses. And that is from Kelsey. Thanks a lot, Kelsey, 812 00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:57,919 Speaker 1: thanks for pointing all that out because I hadn't really 813 00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 1: realized how they could be in parted. But Chuck is 814 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:09,200 Speaker 1: my sarcasm Beard. Everybody, thank you for that. I appreciate it. Uh. Well, 815 00:48:09,600 --> 00:48:12,319 Speaker 1: we appreciate Kelsey too for writing in. And if you 816 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:14,200 Speaker 1: want to be like Kelsey, you can send us an 817 00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:21,720 Speaker 1: email to Stuff Podcast at i heeart radio dot com. 818 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:24,080 Speaker 1: Stuff you Should Know is a production of I Heart Radio. 819 00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:27,080 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart 820 00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:30,080 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 821 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:30,840 Speaker 1: favorite shows,