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RE: Fireflies

James,      Very interesting. Thanks.    Wayne Morton

James Trager <James.Trager@mobot.org> wrote:  There are indeed grassland and wetland species of fireflies (lampyrid
beetles). The larvae are predaceous and do not specifically require
rotting wood as feeding habitat. Prairie species live as larvae and
pupate in soil and are largely unaffected by fire, except perhaps when
it is too frequent and eliminates the surface litter habitat of their
prey. We have lots of them in our 200+ acres of prairie plantings at
Shaw Nature Reserve just west of St. Louis.

James C. Trager, Ph. D.
Restoration Biologist / Ant Taxonomist 
Shaw Nature Reserve
P.O. Box 38
Interstate 44 and US 100
Gray Summit MO 63039 USA
Tel. 636-451-3512 ext. 6002
Fax. 636-451-5583



-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Lenharth [s*@gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 9:00 AM
To: prairie@hort.net
Subject: Fireflies

All, last year in Missouri I witnessed the incredible sight of thousands
of fireflies emerging from Diamond Grove Prairie at sunset. This far
exceeded the amount I remember as a child in the woods around St Louis.

References always indicate that the larvae need rotting wood. Are there
grassland species of this beetle for which this is not true?? Does
burning have any positive/negative influences in a prairie or savanna
setting??

Scott Lenharth
http://www.texasprairie.org

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