It looks something like the letter J. The female responds with a single flash. Another species, Photinus consumilis , signals his mate with a rapid succession of flashes. She responds with two beams. In general, males will not fly down to a female that sends the wrong species signal. But, some females of differing species have evolved the ability to mimic the response flashes of species other than their own.
Most fireflies feed on other small insects, but they also eat pollen.
Good places to observe fireflies are over meadows or lawns and at the edge of woods or streams. The summer evening light shows that people see are performed by male fireflies. They flash patterns of light to females. The females signal in response from perches in or near the ground. When the male sees the female s flash he continues to signal and moves closer.