RIVERSIDE Fireflys are almost never heard of in Southern California. But, the Entomology Research Museum at UC Riverside has announced the discovery of a new species of firefly collected by an undergraduate student. Joshua Oliva picked up the new species near Topanga last month. The fireflies are actually nocturnal beetles that feed on snails. They tend to occur in very small and highly localized populations near springs and seeps, where they are infrequently encountered. The new species has not yet been named, a process could take several years. The firefly Oliva found is about half a centimeter long and black in color with an orange halo-like pattern on the shield covering its head (the pronotum), and a small luminescent organ at the tip of the tail.
Catch Carefully
When you get close enough, catch your fireflies using a net. Place the fireflies you catch into a clear jar with a lid that's been pierced to let in air. You should also place a moistened paper towel inside to keep the air in the jar humid. This way, your fireflies will have air to breathe and won't dry out.
It's often more effective to work in pairs when catching fireflies, with one person to hold the jar and another to use the net. Be sure to use care when catching them; fireflies can be fragile.
Let Them Go
Once you have a jar of fireflies, don't keep them for longer than a day or two. Let them go, preferably at night because that's when they're most active and able to avoid predators. If you keep them for longer, the fireflies are likely to die.
Some people remember crushing fireflies in their fingers to make their hands glow and keeping them in unventilated jars for several days. While this might not have caused serious damage to firefly populations in times when they were more plentiful, today's firefly numbers are dwindling—so each one matters. Catch fireflies carefully, treat them gently and release them into the wild again when you're done, and you'll be able to enjoy these fascinating creatures without causing any harm.