fireflies

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'Iconic Animal' Proposed for Endangered Species List

Bethany Beach firefly could be first firefly to receive federal protections

(Newser) - The act of catching fireflies may soon be a thing of summers past. For the first time, the US government hopes to add a firefly to the list of endangered species, making it illegal to harm the insect in most cases. Named after the Delaware town where it was discovered...

Fireflies May Soon Go Dark Due to a Big Triple Threat

Researchers warn of possible extinction due to habitat loss, artificial light, and pesticides

(Newser) - There’s a "quiet apocalypse" happening among insect populations around the world, and fireflies may soon be the next to see their lights dimmed for good. New research out of Tufts University published in the journal BioScience warns that the world’s 2,000 or so species of the...

Internet, Singer Prove There Are No Dumb Questions

We finally know how Owl City got all those hugs from lightning bugs

(Newser) - We can probably just turn off the internet now. BuzzFeed reports the singer behind a ridiculous eight-year-old pop song just answered an equally ridiculous three-week-old Twitter question and is now going viral, spawning ridiculous write-ups like this one. On his 2009 hit "Fireflies," Owl City (aka Adam Young)...

Fireflies May Be Succumbing to Light Pollution

Numbers plummeting around the world

(Newser) - From backyards in Tennessee to river banks in Thailand, fireflies are disappearing. And the lights may be going out, said scientists who gathered last week in Thailand, because of human light pollution. Urban sprawl has caused a loss of habitat, AP reports, but it also may be that bright cities...

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