Humor, creativity, engineering, and optics all get rolled together in the whimsical firefly or lightning (not lightening) bug. Who but Mother Nature would think of a living being with a fluorescent fanny? The firefly never ceases to enchant folks of all ages. It's the bug youngsters love to catch in jars and screened cages.

Oh, the hot summer night hours I spent as a child chasing about the yard with a Ball canning jar. Of course that jar always held blades of grass, just in case my new captives wanted a snack. I don't know where the lore originated that you could read by the light of a full jar lightning bugs, but I was a believer. The yuck factor associated with holding a bug somehow vanished when a firefly lit on my arm. I think it was actually the first insect I ever cupped between my hands. I just had to see it light up before I could drop it into the jar and cap the lid. I practiced catch and release, sympathizing with the luminescent bugs and letting them go just before bedtime.

So, to honor this insect of childhood, let me offer a bit of trivia about fireflies. They are beetles. There are over 170 different species in North America. This is the state insect of Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Boone, North Carolina, considers itself the Firefly Capital. Fact: the male flies and flashes to attract the female while she perches on grasses and leaves near the ground. Each bioluminescent species has its specific flash pattern so as to attract a mate of its own species. This can range from a continuous glow or a single flash to multi-pulsed flashes. Lightning bug larvae are carnivores, eating earthworms, snails, and slugs. The adult bugs, which live several months, feed on nectar.

Want to attract more fireflies to your backyard? The best advice is first live in an area where they are - luckily, we do. Don't use chemicals on your lawn. Reduce the extra lighting on your yard so their light signals can be seen more easily. You may not see as many fireflies when the moon is full. Also, plant trees, tall grass, shrubs, and flowers that will provide fireflies a place to rest during the day. All this is worth the effort in order to enjoy the original twinkle lights.