Smoky Mountain Fireflies Flash in Unison

From an article in South Eastern Outdoors

The bioluminescent beetles are neither bugs nor flies. But their Tennessee cousins put on dazzling light shows each June for three weeks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Their illuminations become a timeless mating ritual. The Smokies fireflies, unlike most, flash precisely in unison.

Smoky Mountain Field School instructor Wanda DeWaard calls the simultaneous flashing mysterious and magical. For decades Elkmont cabin residents watched these synchronous light shows of the species, Photinus carolinus. They assumed it was like that everywhere, she says.

DeWaard finds the whole process each year to be as magnificent as the last. People come from all walks of life, homemakers to entomologists. At dark, everyone gets very quiet. As flashing starts, you hear sighs of delight, she adds.

Park visitors may attend seminars where Copeland and DeWaard discuss synchronous flashing. There is a class at Sugarlands Visitor Center from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on June 4, cost is $49. Another class meets at Little River trailhead in Elkmont from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on June 6 and June 8, cost is $29. For more information on the seminars or to register please visit www.outreach.utk.edu or call the Smoky Mountain Field School at (865) 974-0150.

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The peak period of the mating behavior can vary each year, but normally begins around the second week in June. Park managers have identified June 8-19 to begin a pilot project to improve crowded conditions, protect Park resources, and improve the viewing experience. Park managers are imposing “no parking” at the trailhead, encouraging visitors to ride the extended trolley service provided by the City of Gatlinburg or carpool with family and friends, designating off-site parking locations at trolley stops, and providing staff to assist with traffic control and to provide on-site nightly walks and talks.

Full details are available here