Females are flightless and grub-like. Access to the Elkmont area has been limited to shuttle service since 2006 in order to reduce traffic congestion and provide a safe viewing experience for visitors that minimizes disturbance to the fireflies during this critical 2-week mating period. Walk up the trail to a bench and watch the woods light up. We produce videos for clients from the mountains of Western NC to coastal NC/SC. They typically appear between late May and mid-June. They are different from other fireflies since their light stays on constantly and they fly just above the forest floor. A naturalist drives your small group to a special spot in Pisgah National Forest for an easy 1.2-mile walk. Keep a diverse habitat.
Since only the males fly, it is very very hard for blue ghosts to recolonize an area once their habitat is destroyed. Both male and female blue ghost fireflies, which are about the size of a grain of rice, emit a light that looks more blue-white from a distance than the yellow-green common among other fireflies. They do not flash. Blue ghost fireflies are neat beetles in that they are native in the mountainous areas of the Upstate. And as a scientist i don’t like to use the word “magical” but that is what it seems like.”. If you do, you may be rewarded by the magic of fireflies, and if you live in the right areas along the mountains, you may even see some blue ghosts. It's a romantic story! Blue ghosts fireflies (Phausis Reticulata - Latin for phantom network)– don’t blink; they fly while glowing a bluish hue for up to a minute. It really comes back to their biology. Blue ghost fireflies are neat beetles in that they are native in the mountainous areas of the Upstate. The result is damage to the layer of leaf litter where adult female blue ghosts live. It's a romantic story! These fireflies do not flash. They can not fly when there is a heavy rainstorm. Finding an area that in on a north-facing slope with a stream is the perfect habitat for them. And you'll find some rare species in the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, but they only come out for a short visit! But they are even more adversely affected by times of drought. Crowds gather at Elkmont to view.
We wanted to know more about Blue Ghost Fireflies, so we interviewed the expert on Blue Ghosts. Females are flightless and grub-like. They can not fly when there is a heavy rainstorm. A decrease in rainfall in April and May drastically reduced the amount of Blue Ghosts that we see. Copyright © 2020 Clemson UniversityClemson Cooperative Extension | 103 Barre Hall Clemson, SC 29634864-986-4310 | Contact UsHGIC@clemson.edu, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, https://realdigitalproductions.com/blue-ghost-fireflies/, How to Tell the Difference Between Goldenrod and Ragweed, Centipedegrass Yearly Maintenance Program. It’s a romantic story! With the growing popularity of Blue Ghost viewing, DuPont has restricted the number of people on its trails at night in order to protect Blue Ghost habitat.Spreading out the areas in which people are viewing Blue Ghosts is the best way to preserve their habitat. You can also watch the blue ghost fireflies here in June. Dr. Frick-Ruppert is a graduate of Clemson University (BS & PhD) and an expert on blue ghost fireflies: https://realdigitalproductions.com/blue-ghost-fireflies/.
They typically are most active in Late May to early June. ), they glow for 30 or 40 seconds every time they light up. The reason for declining numbers may be due to multiple reasons, including loss of suitable habitat to development, years of drought, and light pollution impacting mating. Both the males and females produce a bluish-greenish glow, but only the males can fly. No tours on Friday and Saturday. They take one to two years to mature from larvae but will live as adults for only about 21 days. Cradle of Forestry Blue Ghost Tours May 19-June 6, 2020: In Search of the Blue Ghosts guided night tour at Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest. Turn off your outdoor flood lights as much as possible. If you are curious where to find blue ghosts, when to look for them, and what makes blue ghost fireflies different from other fireflies, watch our full video interview with Dr. Jennifer Rupert-Frick, Brevard College It truly makes the forest look enchanted, but the show is short-lived, only lasting a couple of weeks each spring. Once they transform into their adult form, they do not eat. The season varies a little depending on weather conditions. So, this spring and summer, if you want to encourage blue ghosts or any other firefly species around your property, avoid using broad-spectrum insecticide applications in your yard. What type of area should I look for to find Blue Ghost Fireflies?To find blue ghosts, look for an area that is forrested, has deep leaf litter, and is moist. Firefly Shuttle: Parking passes for shuttle transportation to view the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont will be distributed via a lottery system (details below). Go to their website for info and tickets. May 15 – June 15 is the typical time frame for viewing, but recent trends have them coming out sooner. You can either camp there or take a shuttle from the Sugarlands Visitor Center in Gatlinburg (read more below). We connect your audience to your brand by creating compelling visual stories that bring results. The females don’t fly because they lack wings; larviform adults, they have grub like bodies and never develop common features of adult beetles. Blue Ghost Fireflies. Their light patterns are part of their romantic mating display. With hundreds or thousands of these blue ghost fireflies meandering aglow over the dark forest floor, the ground itself seems eerily adrift.”, The only word I can really use is magical. Finally, one of the easiest forms of pollution you can remediate is light pollution. To find blue ghosts, look for an area that is forrested, has deep leaf litter, and is moist. With hundreds of thousands of these fireflies meandering aglow over the dark forest floor, the ground itself seems eerily adrift.". MALE FEMALE, Blue Ghosts are only about half a centimeter long, or about the same size as a grain of rice. Ventral view of blue ghost firefly male left and dorsal view of a female, right. Here is a link to the National Park Service for more details regarding their firefly lottery system: We highly recommend this book by our friend and fellow firefly enthusiast, Lynn Frierson Faust: Cataloochee Valley Tours: We are currently closed. They are communicating through light.May 15 – June 15 is the typical time frame for viewing, but recent trends have them coming out sooner.
Like most firefly species, the population of blue ghost fireflies has probably decreased over the last thirty years based on accounts by long-term residents along the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
But they are even more adversely affected by times of drought. Warmer temperatures can lead to an earlier mating season. Both the males and females produce a bluish-greenish glow, but only the males can fly. Love our content? Blue Ghost or Synchronous Guided Tours from Asheville May 20-31, 2020: Asheville Hiking Tours offers Blue Ghost or Synchronous Firefly Tours that depart from Asheville, Sunday through Thursdays, meet at 7 PM and return by midnight. What type of area should I look for to find Blue Ghost Fireflies? The fame of blue ghost fireflies in western North Carolina has increasingly threatened their natural habitat.
They are senstitive to the temperature of the ground. For more information about blue ghost fireflies, consider viewing the video interview by Katlyn Mobley of Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert at Brevard College in North Carolina. 7:30-10:30 PM.