Nature Conservation Union Austria
Now is the best time to observe nature at night: on mild summer nights, delicate dots shine on the edge of the forest, near wetlands and structured gardens. Fireflies in a romantic mood offer an incomparable natural spectacle that can still be wonderfully observed and watched until the end of July www.nature-observation.at can share!
The fireflies mating time around the summer solstice. The fireflies, which grow up as larvae in a development phase that often takes several years, usually hatch after a pupal phase of one to two weeks. While they have a predilection for snails in the larval stage, as adult animals they feed exclusively on air and love. In these two to four weeks it is important to find a suitable partner. This is where the glow comes into play: Through the biochemical process, the flightless females while sitting on stalks draw attention to themselves and thus invite you to a rendezvous. After mating and laying eggs, the short life of adult fireflies is over again.
Local fireflies in your own garden
In Central Europe there are four different firefly species, two of which are relatively common in Austria. The Great Firefly (Lampyris noctiluca) and the little firefly (Lamprohiza splendidula). Not only are fireflies ready to mate glow, but also the brief light signals of the larvae can be seen in particularly dark places. They can be found in natural, diverse edge structures that do not require artificial lighting and in natural gardens. A mosaic of small structures such as dry stone walls, piles of stones, open areas, hedges, wildflower meadows and strips of herbs offers the ideal habitat for fireflies.
Experience Austria's insect world
In order to find out more about insects, the nature conservation association has launched the “Insect World Experience” project. With numerous events and a three-stage quiz, species knowledge is to be promoted and a new awareness of the so-called insects created. Anyone who shares their insect observations on naturbeobachtung.at or the app of the same name will receive identification help from experts and also make an important contribution to the collection of distribution data. All those interested in nature who want to find out more about the six-legged animals, their lives and work are invited.
For more information visit www.insektenkenner.at
This post was created by the Option Community. Join in and post your message!
ON THE CONTRIBUTION TO OPTION AUSTRIA
