It is reported that some adult fireflies do not eat. Others feed on pollen and nectar. Both male and female are luminous. The rhythmic flashes produced vary by sex and species. It is believed that the flashes are part of a signal system for attracting mates.
Some scientists believe the flashing is a warning system to predators.
However, frogs eat fireflies in prodigious amounts when available. During summer months fireflies rest on plants or in trees during the day and fly around between dusk and midnight. It is reported that they prefer damp places. It is produced when oxygen, breathed in through the abdominal trachea combines with a substance called luciferin in the presence of the enzyme luciferase, in special cells called photocytes. Female fireflies lay their eggs in the soil.