The Birds and the Bees Mature fireflies use these flashes of light to find and attract fireflies of the opposite sex. In most species found in North America, the male bugs flash while flying. Females do their flashing closer to the ground, usually while hanging out in bushes or grass. Firefly larvae also produce bioluminescence, although no one knows for sure why. There are some predatory species in which the female imitates that flash of other firefly species, luring unsuspecting males to an untimely demise.
Bioluminescence is an incredibly efficient process.
The chemical reaction converts nearly 100 percent of the available energy into light. Your average light bulb is not nearly as proficient, managing to turn about 10 percent of the available electricity into light, with the rest wasted as heat. Unfortunately, reproducing the process artificially is still too expensive, and the closest we've been able to come is those glow sticks that you hold up at the end of rock concerts to let the band know that you really loved the long guitar solos. Todd Campbell is a writer and Internet consultant living in Seattle. The Answer Geek appears Thursdays.