The Common Eastern Firefly is the familiar summer lightning bug of eastern lawns and meadows, flashing a distinctive J-shaped yellow-green signal every 5–6 seconds. Both larvae and adults are bioluminescent.
Best time to see a Common Eastern Firefly
The best time to see a Common Eastern Firefly is June–July, when about 84% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 15,633 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Common Eastern Firefly? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Common Eastern Firefly sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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