The magic — and science — of synchronous firefly displays

Every year for two weeks between mid-May and mid-June, Congaree National Park in South Carolina is home to a fairy-tale-like display of flashing lights. These rhythmic performances happen all because of thousands of fireflies, flashing their belly lanterns at exactly the same time. According to the National Park Service, there are just three species of these synchronous fireflies in North America, making the experience all the more magical for the lucky visitors who get the chance to see them.

But there are more than 2,000 different kinds of fireflies around the world, and scientists are still discovering more. Firefly scientists and enthusiasts hope annual displays in places like Congaree will inspire people to care about other kinds of fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, in the U.S., which are not as well-studied – or well-protected – as synchronous ones. Some community scientists are already taking on this mission with projects like the Firefly Atlas, where volunteers can help survey for fireflies and report sightings. Firefly lovers can also protect them by avoiding pesticides on their lawns and reducing light pollution near their homes.

This story was originally reported for NPR by science correspondent Pien Huang. Read Pien's full story here.

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Today's episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Berly McCoy. Pien checked the facts. Kwesi Lee was the audio engineer.