Are There Any Fireflies In North Dakota?!

Generally, I don't love bugs anywhere near me, but I will make one exception to this rule.

Fireflies.

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Fireflies are the BEST. They don't harm you, they just put on a little glow show in your backyard.

Ever since I moved here from Illinois, I noticed something was missing. I never see these little bugs anywhere. I'm now, naturally on a mission to find out if there are any in North Dakota.

Best Place In The World

According to World Population Review, the best place in the WORLD to view fireflies in their natural habitat is in Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountains. The best time to see this is during the months of May and June.

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North Dakota

According to the source, fireflies are found in every state EXCEPT Hawaii, which seems odd... and sad. Sorry, Hawaii.

With that, we know they are in North Dakota, but the question is: how big is the population? How likely are you to see them in our state?

World Population Review has been tracking lightning bugs/firefly sighting from the year 2018 to 2022; unfortunately, firefly sightings are very rare in our state.

The source explains the bugs have the greatest populations in southern and eastern states. They also love a lot of moisture.

In North Dakota, between 1 and 9 species of fireflies have ever been reported/found.

Other states, such as Texas have reported 53 different species -- 52 more than I knew existed.

Another Important Question:

Do you refer to them as "Fireflies," or "Lightning Bugs?"

I've always said lightning bugs.

Anyway, if you ever see these creatures in North Dakota, take in the moment; you won't get a ton of opportunities to see these majestic glowing bugs.

Why Do They Glow???

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Fun Fact: Fireflies glow in order to attract mates. They glow when two chemicals (Luciferin and Luciferase) are exposed to oxygen. This, according to Almanac.com.