Both the male and female sexes fly and emit light to attract each other during late spring and early summer nights. For reasons not understood the lanterns only light up during flight. Sporadic flashes of light from the firefly are controlled by a series of complicated nerves within the luminescent glands. The duration of luminescence is dependent upon the length of time needed for the luciferin to oxidize. In North America the male firefly flashes about once every five seconds and the female about every two seconds in response to the male.
Fireflies produce a greenish-white light.
Since Fireflies only live one to four weeks in the adult stage, bioluminescence is performs a crucial role to ensure that the species will not become extinct. A research group at Lomonsov Moscow State University is trying to determine the structure and functions of luciferase in fireflies at this very moment. They are trying to determine the mechanism and subsequent structures of chemical species involved in order to further the understanding of light-producing chemical reactions and bioluminescent assays in analytical chemistry. Studying bioluminescence has great implications in the fields of medicine, ecology, biotechnology, nighttime safety, and food quality control. Bioluminescent ATP assays are used in the medical field as a rapid, three hour test for antibiotic susceptibility and a five hour test for bacterial contamination in wounds and tissues.