September 30th, 2010

Fireflies gently illuminating a backyard evening are the stuff of many a pleasant summer memory. If it seems you’ve been seeing fewer and fewer of them in recent years, you may not be alone.

The Museum of Science Boston is recruiting volunteers to study the luminescent flying beetle and report sightings online. Firefly Watch will track reports across the United States and Canada in an attempt to determine the range of the insect and whether the firefly truly is in decline.

The project also will try to learn more about how fireflies are reacting to urban sprawl, habitat loss, drought, an increase in anbient light, and the effect of pesticides and fertilizers.

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