Entomology professor Dan Young said this year marks a short-term win for the regional firefly population. The area is coming out of a drought, leaving abundant ground moisture for fireflies to thrive in during their larval and pupa stages.
“Compared to the last couple years, people would probably be noticing a lot more. I’m certainly noticing more in my own backyard.” said Young, who teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as the director of the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection. “But looking at it more long-term, I would say … this is a pleasant blip in the radar.”