Fireflies' Unique Flashes Help Distinguish Species

Fireflies are a diverse lot. Some flash their lights Morse-code style, some glow more languorously, some synchronize with others around them, and some fly in a distinctive pattern while flashing.

The diversity of signals allows species living in the same habitat to distinguish among themselves while looking for mates, according to firefly expert Marc Branham, an associate professor at the University of Florida.
"That is the same in birds, every bird species has its own song, and that is why in a swamp or in a wet place you can hear lots of different species based on their mating calls," Branham said.

A male firefly's flashes also encode some information about him, so when a female on the ground below sees what she likes, she signals back.