Firefly species may blink out as US seeks to list it as endangered for first time

The US government is seeking to consider a firefly species as endangered for the first time, according to a proposal from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Bethany Beach firefly, found in coastal Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, is facing increasing dangers to its natural habitat because of climate change-related events. They include sea level rise, which is predicted to affect all sites within the known distribution by the end of the century, and the lowering of groundwater aquifers.

The species is already considered extremely rare and in decline.

Bethany Beach fireflies are one of about 170 species of fireflies. It is noted for having a distinctive flash pattern of two green flashes, also called a double-green flash pattern. These insects, which were first discovered in the 1950s, usually emerge in June and July.

The proposal, announced on Monday, is the first time the US government has attempted to protect a firefly under the Endangered Species Act.

In addition to climate change, these fireflies face growing threats from coastal development and light pollution, the latter of which can interfere with the insects’ ability to use their bioluminescent lights to communicate with each other. This particular firefly only flies and flashes at full darkness.

It is recommended that people who live among Bethany Beach firefly populations take steps to reduce light pollution by turning off their porch lights when they are not in use or setting outdoor lights on a timer.

Fireflies are the latest insect to be considered endangered amid a so-called “bug apocalypse”. It was reported earlier this year that monarch butterfly populations dipped 59% in their winter migration.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently list more than 70 species of beetles as endangered, with the Bethany Beach firefly being labeled as “critically endangered”.

Within the past several years, Bethany Beach fireflies have been displaced and populations wiped out because of development on coastal wetlands.

In 2019, a wetland habitat with the largest known population of Bethany Beach fireflies was extinguished due to development in Breakwater Beach, New Jersey. It was reported that the developer found a loophole in the policy that protects designated wetlands, resulting in the firefly population being lost.