But the larvae, sometimes called glowworms, and the eggs of every member of this family do glow. Scientists have found that different kinds of fireflies have different flash patterns and flash from different heights above the ground. One kind might give a long flash followed by a couple of short flashes. Another might give a series of short flashes. Some flash as they fly upwards and then drop towards the ground before flashing again.
Some kinds have a different flash made by the males than by the females.
You might want to gently catch a firefly and look to see what part of it flashes. Some observers have reported whole trees of fireflies flashing together. For a long time this was thought to happen rarely and by chance but there have been good reports in recent years of this happening in areas of the southeastern United States. Go to the library and look for books and poems that mention fireflies. These strange and wonderful insects have inspired people ever since they were first noticed.