Fireflies are on the decline

Preecha Jiabyu used to have time to take tourists on a boat along the banks of the Mae Klong River, glowing with thousands of fireflies. But now all he sees is fluorescent light emanating from hotels, restaurants or highways. He had to row up to two miles to see the trees emit the light that magical creatures created.

Preecha, a 58-year-old retired teacher who owns dozens of rowing boats competing with polluting motorboats, said: 'The number of fireflies has dropped by 70% in just 3 years. This is sad. They were once the symbol of our city. '

The fate of fireflies has attracted more than 100 insect researchers and biologists to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai last week at an international symposium on 'Species Diversity and Conservation Firefly'.

They will then go to Ban Lomtuan on Friday to see the fireflies of Pteroptyx malaccae. Its fast-paced light looks like a Christmas night light.

Does one more beloved species be pushed into danger by humans?

From Tennessee to Southeast Asia, the researchers say they found fireflies (with different names like 'firefly', 'glowworm' or 'lightning bug' ) are declining in numbers.

However, there is not only one cause. Researchers from the United States and Europe criticize urban development and the problem of industrial pollution that has destroyed the habitat of fireflies. The spread of artificial light is also an accomplice, breaking the complex mating behavior that depends on the light war of males to gain females.

Stefan Ineichen, the firefly researcher in Switzerland and the site operator, collected information about fireflies, saying: 'It is clear that the number of fireflies is decreasing'.

'When you talk to old people about fireflies, their answers are always the same. They saw a lot of fireflies when they were young, but now they are lucky to see even one . '

Fredric Vencl, a researcher at Stonybrook University in New York, discovered a species of fireflies two years ago and found its mountain habitat in Panama was threatened by human logging.

Lynn Faust spent a decade searching for fireflies on her 40-acre farm in Knoxville, Tenn., But she had to give up her search for a firefly because she could no longer see it.

Faust said: 'I know that fireflies have disappeared on my farm due to the growth rate as well as the number of lights lit. It's McMansions with floodlights. A house with up to 32 bulbs. Why do I need so many lights? '

But Faust and other experts agree that they need more scientific data. This is really difficult because very few control programs are implemented.

There are about 2,000 species of fireflies , researchers also often discover new species. Many fireflies have not been studied, so scientists have to grop in the dark to understand the potential threats as well as the meaning of flashing lights like code Moc warns everything charity love to danger.

Anchana Thancharoen, a member of the team found the new firefly Luciola aquatilis two years ago in Thailand, saying: "Fireflies are a mysterious insect."

(Photo: JE Lloyd (Photo: JE Lloyd / Live Science)

The problem is that a small nocturnal insect with a fingertip like fireflies cannot attach a signal card or easily track like a bear or even a butterfly. Counting is also difficult when some females spend most of their time on the ground and never glow.

The lifespan of an adult firefly is only about one to three weeks, making counting even more difficult.

European researchers have tried using wooden frames to determine the number of fireflies that appear within a certain period of time. Scientists from the Malaysian Forest Research Institute photographed fireflies populations every month along the Selangor River.

But with little financial resources and manpower to study the problem, experts are looking forward to the help of volunteers. Sites such as the Citizen Science Firefly Survey in Boston conducted this year have encouraged enthusiasts to participate and inform about changes to fireflies populations in the regions.

Christopher Cratsley, a firefly researcher at the Fitchburg Public Schools in Massachusettes and a web advisor, conducted by the Boston Museum of Science, said: 'Researchers hope this will allow us to track pants. Fireflies for years to determine whether they will maintain a stable amount or disappear '.

The researchers concede that the urgency of assessing the status of fireflies may be disproportionate to understanding polar bears or Siberian tigers. But they insist that fireflies are an important species to understand the state of the ecosystem.

Preecha showed disagreement again. He had seen the image of the childhood-infested river becoming polluted, while the fish flocks disappeared. He feared that fireflies would disappear within a year.

He said: 'I feel like our life is being ruined.'