The reason fireflies light up will surprise you

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017
The reason fireflies light up will surprise you
The chemicals inside lightning bugs make them one of the most interesting insects in the world.

Whether you like to call them fireflies or lightning bugs, there's no denying that they are fascinating to watch on a warm summer evening. But have you wondered what makes these tiny bugs light up?

The reason is due to a process called bioluminescence, which is a chemical reaction inside a lightning bug's body that creates energy. Rather than creating heat with this energy, the lightning bug creates light. These bugs create the most efficient light in the world, emitting 100 percent of its energy as light.