OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaFireflies are small beetles that can make their own light! On warm summer nights, you can see them blinking and glowing in the dark. Fireflies are also called lightning bugs.
Fireflies have soft bodies and a special glowing part on their belly. They are usually black or brown with red or orange markings. Even though they are called fireflies, they are actually a type of beetle, not a fly!
Fireflies live in fields, forests, and backyards. They come out at night during warm summer months. You can see lots of fireflies near ponds, streams, and wet grassy areas.
- Fireflies flash their light to find friends.
- Each kind of firefly has its own special blinking pattern so they can find each other in the dark.
- Baby fireflies can glow too, even before they grow wings!
- A firefly’s light makes almost no heat at all, so it never burns.
