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Fireflies: Little sparks of light.

Fireflies have always been magical creatures to me. Growing up, I saw them as tiny insects exploring the mysteries of the night with their own little torch. Scientifically referred to as Lampyridae, which is a fusion of Greek and Latin. The first part comes from the Greek word 'Lampyros', which means a shiny, bright light, and 'Idae', on the other hand, is a latin suffix to denote family. So Lampyridae literally translates to those that shine. Apart from this, these tiny insects are identified by several other names. Fireflies, glowworms, lightning bugs, firebugs, blinking bugs, lightning insects, fire fairies, fire beetles, blinkies, gentlemen's candles, and so many more And yet, even with so many names, they unitedly act as flash lights in innumerable childhood memories.

 This tiny insect spends major parts of its life as a larva and a pupa and comparatively less time as an adult firefly that we see. As an adult, the firefly's main purpose is to attract possible mates and reproduce. The light is produced by a special organ in their abdomen with the help of a reaction between luciferin and oxygen. They use this light to make patterns to give signals and attract females. The patterns differ across the different species of fireflies. Darkness is the most crucial element for the giving and receiving of these light signals.

 


Fireflies are also seen to have symbolic value across various cultures. The light emitted by these insects represents hope—a faint hope in dark times. When things are going downhill, seeing a firefly indicates that this too shall pass and that there is something good in store for us. Secondly, fireflies go through a metamorphic life cycle. Evolving from an egg, a larva, a pupa, and a full-grown adult firefly, and alluding to this metamorphosis, we come to see fireflies as a symbol of growth, of renewal, of change,and of transformation. Apart from this, fireflies also signify communication and connection-building. Just as one firefly attempts to connect and communicate with another with the help of the light, we too try to communicate and connect with our loved ones, be they family or friends, and we do this through the various means of communication. The most interesting and beautiful way one could see a firefly is as the epitome of balance. The presence and active neural activity make us realize the coexistence of good and bad, of light and darkness, and how they are interconnected. This can also be seen in human nature; several times we think and perceive people to be either bad or good. But the truth is that both qualities not only exist in us but are also connected to one another. And it is the one who we feed more or who gets fed more by society that shows up. Finally, fireflies have and continue to use symbolic magic.

In recent times, there has been a drop in the number of fireflies we see. This dwindling in number is caused by increasing light pollution as well as changes in climatic conditions. Fireflies, although tiny, are a very good indicator of our environment's health. Fireflies are sensitive to changes in their environment and habitat. The declining number of fireflies can be seen as an effect of climate change.

This brings me to a question that is being repeated and asked again and again. Is all the development and all the urbanization really sustainable? Are we forgetting that we are interdependent on nature and all its elements? Are we being selfish and greedy in order to bring in all the modernization?


      

                                                                        

 - Alloysha Dias


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Video courtesy: Alloysha Dias 


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Location: Nuvem, Goa, India

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