Arkansas is One of 6 Best Places in the South to Find Fireflies

All the talk over the past several months has been about the two broods of cicadas that will emerge in the summer months to mate. However, did you know that other species of insect like the beautiful mystifying fireflies or lightning bugs as we call them down South have arrived to find their soulmate too?

Fireflies or Lightning Bugs

These little mini orbs of light known as beetles give off quite the show at dusk in your backyard, near a wooded area, or by a lake, and the South is known to have over 100 species of lightning bugs. According to Southern Living, each firefly syncs itself with others in a glowing light pattern that identifies that they would to mate. Male fireflies use their illumination to attract females while the females use theirs as a way to communicate. It's kinda like if you want it, come and get it.

How They Glow

According to Google, a chemical reaction is caused by an organic compound called luciferin in their abdomens. As air flows into the abdomen it reacts with the chemical giving off the flashing glow you see.

One of my favorite memories is during the summer growing up as a kid going outside just before it gets dark and catching a lightning bug in a jar. Sort of gives new meaning to the words, lightning in a bottle. Depending on how many you capture it's still an amazing thing to see up close but you should let them go as soon as possible because their lifespan is not very long. Fireflies always remind me of something you would see in a fairytale movie or book where most of the time the fireflies were fairies or just flashes of light like in Avatar.

Southern Living

Southern Living just came out with the 6 Best Places in the South to Find Fireflies this Summer. Besides Arkansas, the other states included Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

In Arkansas, Coler Mountain Bike Reserve in Bentonville is one of the best places to find fireflies this summer. The park was designated the first certified firefly sanctuary in 2024 west of the Mississippi River. With over 17 miles of biking trails set among a natural habitat of tall grasslands, clean water, and native plants, with no pesticides makes for an ideal place for these lightning bugs to thrive.

Tour guides even get in on the fun by dressing up like a firefly in their various stages, a truly fun experience for families to learn about these amazing heavenly creatures.

To find out more go to Coler Mountain Bike Reserve.

Take a look at the other best places to find fireflies in the South here.

Lightning bugs or fireflies? I'm sticking with the Lightning bugs, it's a Southern thang.