More Than You Wanted to Know About Fireflies!!

• Fireflies are not flies; technically, they are beetles. Take it from me---zoologists are not known for their especially accurate common names.
• There are nearly 2000 species worldwide. You'd think that we'd have at least one in Utah, but the only bioluminescent species we get here is a fungus. Be glad I didn't pick one that for the camp theme.
• Firefly light is produced by a chemical reaction fueled by good old ATP (remember your Biology!). The chemical is called luciferin (luc-i = light in Latin and fer = to bear or carry). Yes, one could have gospel questions about this.
• Fireflies use their lights for communication ("about what?" you ask. I'll tell you sometime.)
• Because our our own cells use ATP for energy, firefly chemicals are useful for studying human metabolic diseases. Scientists can detect the difference between healthy and unhealthy cells (in a petri dish) by observing how intensely the cells glow when luciferin is added.