Fireflies may disappear, so NY scientists are trying to count how many are left

While the most infamous New York insect is the cockroach, some locals are lucky enough from early May to early August to encounter a more enchanting bug: the firefly. That luck, however, is at risk of running out.

Firefly populations in North America are in decline. Researchers estimate that 14% of species from Canada and the United States are threatened with extinction—a trend fueled by various pressures, including climate change, habitat loss and light pollution. It’s possible this number could be higher.

In a 2021 evaluation of 132 species, more than half could not be assessed because of insufficient data.

This decline is likely to continue, but it’s difficult to know exactly what’s going on because of the lack of data, said Jessica Ware, an associate curator at the American Museum of Natural History who studies insect evolution and decline. Consequently, missing information makes protecting them tough.

“If we don’t have the baseline data of how they’re doing, it can be a real challenge to get policymakers to do things to protect them,” Ware said.

There’s a movement underway to understand how imperiled firefly populations are and safeguard the charismatic beetle beloved for its bioluminescent abdomen. The New York Natural Heritage Program, in partnership with the State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, just wrapped up the first year of an ambitious three-year project surveying the state’s fireflies, focusing on rare species.

While there are no conclusions yet, the process suggests some fireflies are more threatened than others. This is in line with other research on climate change and population survival: Some species, namely those that can live in many different types of environments, are better at tolerating challenges.