Firefly hype: love or just (in)sects?

It’s the males of the species that get the attention, as they perform the synchronous flashing in what’s called a “flash-train,” comprising an average of six bursts a half-second apart, followed by a six-to-nine-second pause of darkness. At first, a few males begin flashing their lanterns randomly, but soon more join in until they reach a density that brings them into synchrony and the forest is overtaken by hypnotizing waves of pulsing bioluminescence that can stir people’s interest about the natural world.

Viewers may not realize that females are on the ground responding to a male with a single or double flash. Certainty is survival in this species, and the flash train pattern and synchrony lets the female know that she is responding to a male of her kind. Many males might be attracted to a single female’s flash, but only one will ultimately be successful. Mating can also be dangerous for the male, who could be lured in by a predator — the female Photuris firefly mimics the flash pattern of a female Photinus. 

Getting the exact dates for the Elkmont experience depends on GSMNP entomologist Becky Nichols, who uses daily temperature data starting on March 1 each year. “Firefly development is highly dependent on moisture and temperature and can vary a bit from year to year,” she said. “We try to time the ticketed event to encompass the peak emergence.” 

Since 2005, the park has continued to respond to eager firefly fans with new operational plans to take into account visitor safety, resource protection, and enhanced viewing experience. Before managers introduced a reservation system in 2012, visitors would sometimes arrive five hours in advance to take a trolley from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Elkmont. Capacity was limited to about 12,000 people over the eight-day viewing window — 900 people riding the trolley and 700 people walking in from Elkmont campground per night. In 2016, the parking reservation system changed to a lottery. 

When COVID arrived, it ushered in mandatory federal restrictions for transportation on park lands. This forced managers to develop yet another operational system that ultimately proved popular with employees and visitors and has remained in place ever since. In 2021, the park allowed 100 passenger vehicles directly into Elkmont per night, with up to seven people per vehicle. In 2023 and 2024, the park increased parking reservations to 120 and 140 per night, respectively. For Elkmont hopefuls, the odds of winning a reservation through the lottery is slim. Nonetheless, more people register for the lottery each year. Officials said 47,000 people registered for the lottery in 2024 — over 22,000 more entrants than in 2021. 

Even with the reduction in visitors into Elkmont for the firefly show, however, the regional economy still benefits from firefly tourism in the park. 

Vesna Plakanis, co-owner of a Smoky Mountain outdoor guide company, A Walk in the Woods, says the company sees a big interest in firefly tours from mid-May to mid-June. 

“Our nightly tours fill up quickly and there is generally a wait list on our two-night trips,” Plakanis said. “We also see a big bump on our camp during Blue Ghost season, although we also have synchronous fireflies as well as several other species during the month of June. Guests seem to be drawn to our small group tour experience as well as the added bonus of touring with a naturalist who helps make our excursions highly educational.”

Smoky Mountain Guides offers three different firefly tours, including a two-day mountain escape in search of synchronous fireflies. John Johnson, a guide and naturalist with the company, generally sees two types of guests on the firefly tours. “We see people from the east who grew up with fireflies and want to capture some of that childhood delight, largely because they don't see them anymore, and people from the west who have never experienced thousands of glowing beetles or any other bioluminescence,” he said. 

For Dancing Bear Lodge & Appalachian Bistro in Townsend, summers are typically already busy with bookings from travelers coming to explore the park. However, a handful of guests have shared that they booked in order to visit the park and experience the fireflies. 

Biodiversity sparks curiosity 

Perhaps the organization that receives the biggest boost from firefly tourism is Discover Life in America (DLiA), a small 26-year-old nonprofit with three full-time staff on a mission to connect communities and scientists to discover, understand and conserve the natural world in GSMNP and beyond. 

DLiA is cataloguing every species within the park boundaries in a massive project called an All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). Since 1998, the ATBI has cataloged almost 22,000 species, but scientists estimate that there are likely 40-60 thousand more yet to be discovered. Already, the ATBI has added more than 11,000 new species records to the park and more than 1,000 species new to science.

Will Kuhn, DLiA’s Director of Science and Research says there are 19 known species of fireflies in the park before adding that he thinks there could be more. Having seen so many new species added to park records and to science, it’s not hard for him to imagine that other species simply haven’t been found yet. 

Scientists and conservationists tend to agree that fireflies ignite humans’ sense of wonder, making them good ambassadors for learning about other incredible creatures, the realm of biodiversity and conservation efforts to protect species from extinction. 

“Synchronous fireflies are like a gateway into biodiversity,” said Kuhn. “They are hidden and special and only come out at a certain time of year, and they are just really cool — and there’s a whole bunch of other things that are like that.”

Since 2012, the organization has hosted Fireflies at Norton Creek, a fundraiser to view the synchronous fireflies from a secluded 2,000-acre private reserve owned by Margit and Earl Worsham that borders the park. For the casual crowd, the four-night eco-tourism event is a refreshing departure from fancy “rubber chicken” galas while raising nearly half of the organization’s annual operating budget to help it fulfill its broader mission. 

Guests come from around the country eager for the experience. One waitlisted guest from Fairbanks, Alaska, got the call that another guest canceled. He happened to be traveling in San Francisco and rushed to book arrangements to East Tennessee at the last minute. Another guest from Arizona said she’d never seen a firefly before.

DLiA’s Executive Director Todd Witcher adds that by sharing the incredible experience of the synchronous firefly display and introducing guests to other bioluminescent marvels, the organization can also raise awareness about its crucial research efforts. 

“We can’t save what we don’t know is there,” he said. “We hope this experience inspires people to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the small things in nature that are often overlooked, and an urgency to protect biodiversity that is essential to all of us before it disappears!”

Lighting the way for global conservation 

There is good news in the conservation world: synchronous fireflies in GSMNP are faring well, in large part because they live in a protected habitat with little light pollution. In recent years, more populations have been found outside of the Smokies in Grandfather Mountain State Park in North Carolina and Watoga State Park in West Virginia.

Since fireflies pose no danger to humans or agriculture, there simply isn’t as much funding for their research. However, they are beloved the world over, which is positive for awareness and conservation efforts.

Globally, many of the 2,000+ firefly species are in decline. However, they are much beloved the world over, which is positive for raising awareness about their status and conservation measures. A 2021 study, a collaboration with researchers and firefly experts from different organizations, was the first report of its kind to complete a Red List assessment for 130 fireflies and two sub-species of the 171 species found in the US and Canada. Outside of protected areas, 18 species are threatened. 

Another 2021 study conducted by Tufts University on firefly tourism was meant to boost conservation efforts. It  cites the main reasons for decline as habitat loss, pesticide use and light pollution. Fireflies thrive in fields, forests and wetlands, and they need darkness to be able to communicate with other members of their species. The heavy demand for firefly tourism reinforces that fireflies are important to humans the world over and there is a strong economic demand for firsthand encounters through firefly tourism. The firefly tourism of the Smoky Mountains appears to be a demonstration of stewardship that exhibits balance between the economic boost from outside visitors and conservation efforts that help the species thrive. 

Fireflies are vulnerable creatures, but they also represent the heavyweight champions of the biodiversity and conservation world. 

Preserve the light: Protect firefly habitat at home

• Avoid pesticides and lawn chemicals. Fireflies live in the soil and leaf litter during various stages of their life cycle. They also eat the creatures that munch on gardens, like snails, slugs and caterpillars.
• Mow less often and higher. Lawns mowed at 3.5 or 4 inches can be better for some species of fireflies. Better yet, convert your lawn into a natural habitat that can support life. Lawns are ecological deadzones.
• Plant natives. Native grasses and shrubs can provide safe habitat and attract fireflies to residential yards and gardens.
• Reducing outdoor lighting. White lights at night prevent fireflies from seeing each other’s flashes, which is how they communicate for survival. If you get up close to fireflies, make sure to use a red light or a piece of red cellophane over a flashlight.