Materials jar with air holes in lid fireflies magnifying lens Procedure Choose a night when fireflies are out. Capture some fireflies in the jar. Look for variations of color, ranging from yellows to greens. Observe the fireflies under the magnifying lens for a few minutes to see if you can follow their blinking patterns. Explanation A firefly, also called a lightning bug, is really a type of beetle that uses light to attract its mate.
Fireflies have a special organ under the body that causes the light to turn on and off.
When they light, they give a signal to their mates. Fireflies start signaling at dusk and continue until late in the evening. They can be seen from midsummer to early autumn. Look through the other end into the milky water and into the flashlight. Keep adding a little more milk until the flashlight looks red, like a sunset.