- What's going on Coyote Pack?
It's a beautiful summer evening here in Columbus Ohio.
The sun just set and the conditions are absolutely perfect
for lightning bugs.
Now what we're gonna do tonight is teach you
how to build a lightning bug lantern.
And in order to do that first we need to find
and catch some bugs.
So if you guys are ready, let's get the adventure started.
(dramatic music)
Catching lightning bugs is all about patience.
You see one flash and then you lose it.
And then you see a flash over there and you lose it again.
Now the tactic I like to use
is to follow the flash a couple of times
and then turn on my flashlight really quickly
and swipe it up with the net.
It takes some patience, it takes some practice,
it takes some precision.
I missed him.
- [Cameraman] That wasn't very agile.
- No. - Or graceful.
- These are some advanced lightning bugs for sure.
There are over 2,000 species of fireflies
throughout our planet.
They live on every continent except for Antarctica.
And in North America, specifically,
there are 150 different species of lightning bugs.
Tonight, we are after the eastern lightning bug,
arguably the most common species that you have here
in the United States.
Got him.
My little catch container's beginning to light up.
It's really all about having great aim
and hand-eye coordination once you see the lightning bugs.
And I thought I'd be able to the flashlight
to light up the bugs once I saw them,
that actually scares them away
and they become even harder to catch.
My catch container's got a lot of action
going on in it.
Got another one right in front of us.
Here we go.
Okay, I've got about 10 in the net.
Couldn't tell you how many inside the capture jar.
I think it's time to build the lightning bug lantern.
And we're back.
Now before we get into building our lightning bug lantern,
first let's talk a little bit about lightning bugs
or are they fireflies?
That's a great question.
Now both terms technically are completely fine,
however, these insects are not flies
but in fact are true beetles.
Now there are hundreds of thousands
of beetle species worldwide
and tonight we have caught the eastern lightning bug.
This is without question the most common species
you're going to find in your backyard
if you live in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee,
Kentucky, West Virginia or the Carolinas.
This is the insect you were going out seeing
lighting up the night sky.
Now, these bugs are rather unique
and I would wager to say that the lightning bug
has no humans that are actually afraid of it.
Humans seem to love lightning bugs
and I say the reason for that
is that they are completely friendly.
They have no stinger and no biting mouth parts.
So, if something can't bite you
and it can't sting you, why would you be afraid of it?
It's a completely safe species to interact with.
Now, the lightning bug has a very interesting life cycle.
Like most beetles, when the male and female breed,
the female then goes down to the ground
and lays her eggs.
Those eggs then hatch into larvae.
The larvae buries down into the soil
and will spend up to two years feasting off
different little microorganisms that it comes across.
After they go through the larvae stage,
they go through metamorphosis
and then hatch into more lightning bugs.
And what's crazy is that when the males and females
come up out of the ground
between the months of June and September
to start their breeding dance,
they only live for between five and 30 days.
Can you imagine that, a life cycle that lasts
for nearly two years underground
and only a month above ground.
And what's unique about their breeding cycle
is that it's one of the most celebrated insect gatherings
in the world.
In fact, there are some locations
where people will actually gather together
to see the spectacle that is lightning bugs
lighting up the night sky.
Now let's answer what's likely your most pressing question,
how do lightning bugs glow?
It's something called bioluminescence.
Bioluminescence has a rather lengthy scientific definition.
I could give you that entire definition
and it would go on and on and on,
it'd be long winded but for the sake of this video,
we're going to give you the short definition.
Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction
that happens within an organism's body
that causes light.
The reason it causes light is that these insects
have a molecule inside of them known as luciferin.
That luciferin when it mixes with oxygen
has a reaction that causes light,
hence the fact that they light up the night sky.
Now like all insects,
lightning bugs have three basic body parts,
a head a thorax and an abdomen.
You can see a little yellow pocket,
that is where the luciferin is stored.
Now when the lightning bug isn't glowing
it just looks as if it's a pale yellow.
When the lightning bug lights up,
that's exactly where the glow is coming from.
And when it comes to lightning bugs the abdomen
is actually referred to as the lantern.
Which will perfectly transition us into the next part
of tonight's video, how to build your lightning bug lantern.
First thing in is the grass, nice, fresh grass,
good and green.
Doing this outdoors is usually advisable
because some of the lightning bugs
will probably get away in the process
and if some of them escape, don't worry,
they're just gonna head right back off into the environment.
Next, I'm going to drop in a few leaves.
Remember these leaves provide the opportunity
for the lightning bugs to hide
and take shelter, especially during the day.
These insects love to stay hidden and out of sight.
Now the last little piece you need from nature
is a couple of twigs.
I picked twigs that have a bunch
of different little branches on them
so that the lightning bugs feel
as if they have a jungle gym.
That gives them something to climb around on
and to perch on.
It's a little easier to get perches on a twig
than it is the side of a plastic or a glass container.
(sighs) Okay, this is it, time to add our lightning bugs.
This process is a little difficult
and remember you wanna be gentle with your lightning bugs.
Now they are gonna crawl around
inside your plastic catch container.
So what I recommend is just gently tapping
on the surface to get them to drop down
into the base of it.
Okay, there we go, so what I'm gonna do
is slowly begin to transfer some of my lightning bugs
if I can one at a time.
Oh boy, they're really wanting to crawl out in a hurry.
If you can get them to come out and onto the edge
of the container like this,
you could almost funnel and gently feed them down
and into your lantern.
There we go there's one there, in you go, everybody in!
Oh, that one's getting away, Jimmy no!
I named that one Jimmy.
Oh, losing one there.
That's okay and remember if some escape in the process,
that's completely, oh no I'm spilling them!
Oh, they're getting away, this isn't good.
Oh, they're getting away, in you go, in you go.
That's why we catch as many as possible.
I wasn't able to count every single one that I got
but I would say I was close to 35 or 40.
Little Billy get in there, get in there, Billy.
That's one of the real challenges,
can you actually name one of your lightning bugs
that you catch?
Suzie, get in there, Tammy, Deborah, oh I missed.
In you go, in you go, there we go.
Wow, that's actually pretty impressive.
I would say I got 95% of my lightning bugs
into the actual lantern.
Look at that, our jar looks fantastic.
Grass, leaves, twigs and lightning bugs.
Now the very last thing that you wanna use
is your little piece of bendable wire.
This is how you actually complete the lantern
by making a little handle.
Check this out.
So, I'm gonna put a little twist in it there.
This piece comes around the side and tucks in like this.
Here we go, twist that around like that, good and secure.
Get this on this side.
Now if you're working with wire,
it may not be a bad idea
to have your parents help you a little bit.
You don't wanna prick yourself on the end of that.
There we go, the handle is nice and secure
and there you have it, your very own,
summer lightning bug lantern.
Now it is important to note that this is not a species
that you wanna keep forever.
Remember they have a very short life cycle.
What I recommend is going out just before sunset
to catch your lightning bugs.
Build you container outside,
get it set up just like this.
Take it inside, place it next to your bed
before you tuck in
and you're gonna have the perfect lightning bug nightlight.
Wake up in the morning, take them with you to breakfast,
admire them during the afternoon,
then head back out to the exact same location
towards sunset and release them back into the wild
so they can continue on with their breeding.
Now if you guys get the chance to head out this summer
and build your very own lightning bug lantern,
make sure to tag me on social media @coyotepeterson
and I'll do my best to like and watch
all of the videos and maybe even some comments
on the success that you guys have
with catching lightning bugs.
I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild,
we'll see you on the next adventure.
All right, lightning bugs, let's go see
if we can get you to light up.
(dramatic music)
Hey Coyote Pack, if you thought
building a lightning bug lantern was a fun summer project,
make sure to go back and watch the episode
where we showed you how to build your very own worm farm.
Look at all those slimers,
aren't they glorious?
And don't forget subscribe and join memberships
so you can follow along on our next wild adventure.
- Here you go buddy. - Yes, burger.
- Here you go.
- There it is, there it is. - Thank you.
- Thank you!
That is one hmm, melty, cold and delicious reward.
Eat up, be brave around needles kids.
(dramatic music)