Their daytime appearance is as misleading as their name. Fireflies – a.k.a. lightning bugs – are winged beetles, not flies. In daylight, they compete with leaf beetles for attention, but when darkness rolls in the contest is over. Their flirting and mating rituals in summer produce a spectacle of sparkle — like tiny fireworks that hover and twinkle close to the ground.
(Photos: July 2018 – Long Island, south shore)
The Seasons in Focus 
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