WARNING!! LIGHTNING BUGS/FIREFLIES

[Nasubi77]

I always like to post a reminder about lightning bugs in case there are some newbies who do not know the danger.

A single lightning bug (firefly) can be FATAL to your beardie!!!

If you take them outside, be especially diligent. Lightning bugs spend daylight hours on the ground, so your beardie could pluck one up before you know it. Keep at least a screen over your cages so if a stray lightning bug gets in your house, there's no chance of it entering your beardie's viv.

Two of my beardies have an open top enclosure. But I noticed a couple lightning bugs in the house the other day, so I immediately put screens on top for the summer!

Remind your children to NEVER feed your dragon a bug caught outside.

I used to love lightning bugs and I would catch them with my children on summer evenings. Now, I go into panic mode whenever I see one! lol

 

[Livey]

Whoa i never new that!
I don't even no what they look like! lol

 

[Jiffy]

Same here, used to love them, now I freak out when I see one.
Livey, they are also known as fireflies, in case that is something that you may be more familiar with.

 

[Livey]

i still don't think i seen one
i don't really think we have many, if any at all over here ... :/

 

[Nasubi77]

Same here, used to love them, now I freak out when I see one.
Livey, they are also known as fireflies, in case that is something that you may be more familiar with.

*Waves* Hi Jennifer!! It's been a while!

 

[Jiffy]

Hey there! It has been a while! Hope you are doing good.

 

[Jiffy]

Here is one that found on photobucket that is not lit up. I am looking for a picture of what they look like at night

Here is one of one at night, in a jar. I cant find a better pic yet

 

[Nasubi77]

I tried to do a Google search to find out where they are indigenous to. (All over the world it seems, although I've heard people from Western USA say they've never seen them, and lots of people from UK say they've never seen them). I know here in Southeastern US, you can literally see hundreds every evening. The kids love to catch them and put them in jars as a "lantern" and then release later, lol. And is it mean to say they leave a cool iridescent streak when they hit the windshield? :twisted: Anyway, there are lots of sites that have info and pictures if anyone wants to see them in action.

 

[TheWaveCarver]

Hey everybody, i know lightning bugs are fatal, but if you discover that your beardie ate one what should you do :shock: ? I almost had a heart attack a couple of months ago when my beardie ate a ladybug off the ground, thankfully she didn't even get sick or act unusual .

 

[beardie parents]

I've lived in Southern AZ since I was in the 4th grade (many, many years ago) and I never saw them until my family moved to Iowa after I got out of High School. I saw them there but when I moved back to AZ I didn't see them. As fast as some beardies go after bugs, I'm glad that we don't have them here.

 

[Nasubi77]

Hey everybody, i know lightning bugs are fatal, but if you discover that your beardie ate one what should you do :shock: ? I almost had a heart attack a couple of months ago when my beardie ate a ladybug off the ground, thankfully she didn't even get sick or act unusual .

You should get as much fluid into her as possible and get her to a vet asap. From the stories I have read, it's usually fatal within a couple hours. I don't think there's much else can be done.

 

[TheWaveCarver]

I will keep that in mind. :study:

 

[lacy_black]

And is it mean to say they leave a cool iridescent streak when they hit the windshield? :twisted:

I wouldn't say it's mean :lol: I used to smash them and paint my brother...made him look glow in the dark (I was about 9 and he was 2) :laughhard:

 

[Nasubi77]

And is it mean to say they leave a cool iridescent streak when they hit the windshield? :twisted:

I wouldn't say it's mean :lol: I used to smash them and paint my brother...made him look glow in the dark (I was about 9 and he was 2) :laughhard:

Hehe, the neighbor kid used to stomp them and make lighted smears on the driveway, but I never could bring myself to kill one on purpose. Even today I can't stand to smash a bug, but it has more to do with the "crunch" under the foot than it does my sympathy for their lives.