Synchronous Fireflies

A breathtaking show put on by nature resembling a psychedelic combination of stars falling and fireworks exploding. It is an immersize experience you will never forget.

What is a Synchronous Firefly?

Seeing a sparkling carpet of fireflies in your backyard can be a magical experience. But imagine seeing them all flashing at once–in a symphony of light.


Synchronous species of fireflies are very special, and they exist only in a handful of places throughout the world. There are 2,000 species of fireflies in the world but only three species of synchronous fireflies that can be found in North America. The unique flashing pattern inclues five to eight bursts of light in a short time period followed by complete darkness for about five seconds.

Approximately two weeks during the summer becomes the window for the fireflies to attract their mates. The males flash as they fly around while the females generally stay on the ground and respond with a fainter double flash.

Although scientists are uncertain of the real reason these fireflies coordinate their flahes, studies show it might be that the female really needs a large amount of light to elicit her response, and that's why the males flash in synchrony, to create more of a light stimulus for the females.

Watch this video

to witness the spectacle of the rare pattern which is unique to the synchronous fireflies. A specialized camera with an ISO of 100,000 was used to capture this event in real time.

Click anywhere to fill the woods with sparkling fireflies.