What we know for nearly certain, is that fireflies do not hang out in living rooms.

So get outside!

Directions

• Launch FireflyCall on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Tap the “Fly” button.
• Tap the screen to flash (Version 1.1 has “Tap and Hold” and will stay in “Flash–On Mode” as long as your finger remains on the screen).
• To find female fireflies, with a firm hand on your iPhone or iPod Touch, move it through the air while tapping out a signal that closely resembles local airborne firefly flash patterns. Watch the ground, grass, and shrubbery for a stationary response call. You'll know your girl when she lights up for you. Careful, though, if she is Photuris and you are Photinus, she might try to eat you!
• Call male fireflies to your phone by watching how and when local females respond to male flashing. With a bit of practice and by staying in one place (low to the ground or foliage), you should be able to get amorous males to land right on your device.
• Adjust the color of your flash by tapping the crayon icon on the flight page.

Tips

Based on the research of Dr. Sara Lewis at Tufts University, new documentation has been published about how to identify and communicate with various species of fireflies. We recommend participating in the project created by The Museum of Science in Boston called Firefly Watch. Sign up but also be sure to download their “Firefly Flash Pattern Chart”.

• Carefully observe the fireflies you plan on communicating with. There may be more than one species, so pay close attention to details like color, flash frequency, pauses between flashes and number of flashes.
• Male fireflies are actively searching for mates and fly around almost continuously, flashing in a way that is specific to their species. Watch for their airborne displays and the response from females on the ground, in the grass, or in shrubbery.
• After learning the dialect of your local fireflies, one can elicit a call response from female fireflies when you fire off a particularly handsome male flash pattern or switch up and respond to the overtures of the males and lure them close. Once you are fluent, you can have contests to see who can get the most fireflies to land on your iPhone!

Participate in the experiment!

With FireflyCall, you can experiment with the color and type of signal you send out to fireflies so that you can gently draw these creatures near. With over 2,000 species of bioluminescent Lampyridae on the planet (over 200 in North America alone!), there is bound to be some variation in response to stimuli. So please use our Contact Form to get in touch with us and tell us about your experience or provide a tip for what works in your neck of the woods. With your permission, we may use your tip on this very page.

With your feedback, we will guide the growth of the next version of FireflyCall and how we build this community around it. Thanks for playing, uhhhh, we mean, learning.

Requirements:

• Lampyridae habitat ( in North America, reportedly mostly only east of Kansas)
• A summer evening
• An iPhone or iPod Touch with FireflyCall installed
• Parental permission or supervision if you are under age

Helpful or Nifty:

• Insect repellant – we prefer natural and non–toxic (interested sponsors willing to send product to test inquire here)
• Boots with high socks and tightly cuffed pants – especially in tall grasses
• Friends with iPhones or iPods with Firefly Call installed – try to induce synchronicity!
• Curiousity about the natural world
• Willingness to noodle around until you learn your local firefly dialect