Fireflies light up the night sky in Israel - scientific survey

As fireflies have been disappearing, it was important for scientists to conduct the survey and gain a better picture of their status in Israel, to better protect the species.

Firefly. (photo credit: BRANDON ALMS)
Firefly.
(photo credit: BRANDON ALMS)
A scientific survey asking Israelis to report fireflies seen in 2020 received 1,548 responses across the country and over 6,000 sightings of the lighting-bug, The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) updated today.
Scientists from SPNI, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Nature, designed the survey to map the presence of fireflies in Israel and better understand what environments are most hospitable for them. 
The survey asked Israelis where they saw the fireflies, if they were male, female, or larvae (based on model images), what type of environment they were in, if the fireflies lit up, and whether there was any light pollution in the area.
As fireflies have been disappearing due to human activity, it was important for scientists to get a better picture of their status in Israel, so they could better protect the species.
Much of firefly breeding grounds and habitats have been lost due to human construction, and pesticides have also decimated insect populations. 
Additionally, light pollution has disrupted their breeding, as according to Scientific American females choose mates based on flashing patterns that cannot be detected if other light sources are present.
The results of the survey indicated that fireflies appeared mostly in nature, but many were also sighted in gardens and urban areas, as well as agricultural land. This is good news for the fireflies, who seem to have found suitable habitats in urban settings. 
Sightings spanned from the Hermon, down to Beersheba, with high concentrations in Carmel and the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. Most were reported as male. 
While the survey offers a lot of insights, more research will be needed to verify the results. The scientists assumed that human error accounted for some of the data. 
For example, barely any fireflies were detected in the West Bank, but the survey may not have reached those regions. 

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Many larva were found in gardens because people were working closely with the leaves and noticed them there, while they may not have in nature. 
Since fireflies are usually noticed at night when they light up, more may have been seen in urban areas, as people don't often enter nature sites at night.