The Synchronous Fireflies Phenomenon In North Carolina Will Enchant You In The Best Way Possible

For two amazing weeks of every year, parts of the Smoky Mountains turn into a magical, flickering phenomenon as the Photinus Carolinus, a.k.a. the Synchronous Firefly, have a little meet and greet with one another at their annual mating ritual.

Depending upon where you grew up, you may have fond childhood memories of fireflies. They appear after dark with their tails aglow seeming to light their way as they fly all over.

But did you know that fireflies (a.k.a. lightning bugs) use that light to signal the opposite sex?

It's true. (We couldn't make this stuff up.) During mating season, the male Synchronous Fireflies synchronize their flashes with anywhere from four to eight flashes before going totally dark for exactly another twelve seconds.

What happens next is a yet another fascinating phenomenon: during the dark twelve seconds, the females (which linger closer to the ground) will turn on their magical mating light so that the males can find them! And this continues... *All Night Long* for two enchanting weeks. But the magic only happens in a few locations.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a lottery each year for tickets to see the Synchronous Fireflies at the Elkmont viewing area in Tennessee. And there is a tour company on the North Carolina side of the border that quickly sells out for tours of their own. But don't give up just yet; there is another spot in the Smokies where the phenom occurs.

You can see them at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest located in Robbinsville.

During the mating season the fireflies are drawn to moist, dark and quiet climates. The temperature also must be in a perfect range. For this reason, the mating season is sort of a moving target each year, usually occurring for two weeks beginning in late May.

For some reason, Synchronous Fireflies love the Joyce Kilmer Forest, making it an optimal spot to witness this annual phenomenon.

A few facts about fireflies: it can take one to two years for larvae to mature into an adult. Adult fireflies only live for approximately 21 days. You should not catch and release fireflies. If they're flying and flashing their light it means they're in search of a mate. *(Perhaps you can resist the urge if you simply imagine having only 21 days to find your soul mate before you die.)*

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is located at 5410 Joyce Kilmer Rd., Robbinsville, NC 28771. Get more information about the Synchronous Firefly dates for 2018 at this link from the National Park Service. More information about Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest can be found in this article.

The lottery for tickets to see the fireflies at the Elkmont viewing area in Tennessee opens tomorrow, April 27. Get more information about entering at this NPS link. At this point in time, there is no lottery for viewing them at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.

Please note the following firefly lightshow viewing etiquette, as published by the National Park Service:

Flashlights disrupt the fireflies and impair people’s night vision. The light show is best when you:
• Cover your flashlight with red or blue cellophane.
• Use your flashlight only when walking to your viewing spot.
• Point your flashlight at the ground.
• Turn off your flashlight when you find your viewing spot.
• Do not catch the fireflies, help protect the fireflies and their habitat.

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This Firefly Phenomenon In North Carolina Will Enchant You In The Best Way Possible

Robin Jarvis

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