Very few members of the insect world are sources of fascination, inspiration and light. Scientist Raphael Dubois was the first to understand how light was produced from living things. A reaction of substrate and enzyme, luciferin and luciferase named after the fallen angel of light . These two rare chemicals are used in research for heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis also waste water treatment and used in electronic detectors in space crafts to look for earth-like forms in outer space.
Some experts think the firefly flashing is to warn predators of their bitter taste.
Although frogs have been seen to glow from their ingestion of fireflies. Since males out number females 50 to 1 the flashes are usually associated with males seeking willing females. The females respond with their own flashes, the males land next to them on a blade of grass only to be eaten. A European legend warned that if a lightening bug flew in the window someone is going to die. Aztecs used the term firefly metaphorically meaning a spark of knowledge in a world of ignorance and darkness.