By Lauren Thomas, June 2008     To anyone who has spent an evening chasing fireflies, they are more than mere insects. They are luminescent stripes smeared on limbs and faces. They are jars of lightning flashes collected in the backyard at twilight. They are inspirations to children and poets and naturalists.     Fireflies are known by many names and appear in folklore around the world. In many parts of North America, they are known as lightning bugs. In South America, they are called luciernagas. In Jamaica they are called blinkies or peenywallies. In some cultures fireflies are a sign of bad luck, in others they are living metaphors for a light in the darkness.     A breif lesson in biology of fireflies: lightning bugs are not flies. They are beetles. They are part of the family Lampirydae and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.     The flashes that make these insects so remarkable are the result of a chemical reaction called bioluminescence. Fireflies use flashes of light to communicate with each other in a sort of Morse code. Each species uses a unique pattern of flashes and pauses. These patterns allow fireflies of the same species to recognize each other and they allow firefly enthusiasts to distinguish one species from another. Some species fly low to the ground while others fly hight around the treetops. A rule of thumb to impress your friends on camping trips: Photinus fireflies flash yellow and Photuris fireflies flash green.     When you see a field of fireflies flashing, there is a good chance that every firefly you see is a male. The light show is a mating dance, a luminous dialogue in the dark. You’ve stumbled into a singles bar where the men are preening and posing and waiting for a wink or smile - an invitation - from the women across the way. The males flash over the fields and, if the females signal back from their perches, the mating ritual begins.     Though most fireflies use their flashes to send sexual signals, some species also use these signals to attract prey. Some females of the species Photinus imitate the flash patterns of other fireflies in order to attract and eat the males. Like Sharon Stone in the movie Basic Instinct, these femme fatales use flashes to lure unsuspecting males to their deaths.     The more you learn about fireflies the more fascinating they become.     Gainesville’s resident firefly expert, James E. Lloyd, a professor of entomology in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida, has introduced many students to the magic of fireflies and shed some light on their mystery. Lloyd  has observed fireflies since childhod. He began his formal studies of fireflies in college and, since then, has shared his vast knowledge with scientists and enthusiasts.     One recent spring, a class led by Lloyd spent afternoons looking for firefly larvae on tree trunks. Evenings were spent walking along the edges of woods, in the damp Florida heat, surrounded by green and yellow flashes. Those dark nights were quiet except for the cries of whiporwils or the calls of classmates: “Look! On the right, fireflies!” Once or twice Lloyd used his penlight to lure a firefly onto the palm of his hand.     There are several places in and around Gainesville that are full of fireflies. Go camping in Ginnie Springs and find the woods around the campstie are illuminated by hundreds of fireflies. Lloyd recommends the area around Newnans Lake and the woods near the Gun Club by Gainesville Regional Airport. He began observing fireflies at the Gun Club in the 1960s, at the suggestion of a former student, and has been going ever since. To get there, drive north on Waldo Road and turn right into the Industrial Park on Northeast 49th Avenue. Stay on the main road and go past the Cox Communications building and the Ryder rental office. Stop at a chain-link fence marked “Do Not Enter” and make a right down a narrow dirt road behind the shooting range. This area is home to several different species of fireflies though Lloyd  has noticed that the firefly populations there have diminished considerably in the past several years.     Even in this era when everything is dissected and explained, fireflies maintain their aura of mystery and magic. An evening spent hunting fireflies is a great way to escape from the city lights, noise and traffic jams. To find fireflies, begin the search at dusk. Bring the bug spray and wear clothing that will cover your limbs in tall grass and underbrush. Go to the meadows, to the marshes, to the woods. Stay out until the sky is dark. Bring a small flashlight and a sharp eye. Look down toward  the ground and up to the treetops. Catch fireflies, if you must, but if you do, Lloyd recommends keeping them in a jar with some damp grass and a fresh slice of an apple. Do not put holes in the lid, but release the fireflies after a day before they dry out and die.     As a society we are marching away from simple pleasures of the past. Porch lights and steetlights drown out the lights of fireflies. As more roads are paved and more buildings are constructed, it seems the population of fireflies is decreasing. But for now, while the dark places of the world may be disappearing, fireflies are still alight in Gainesville.