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Natural History Museum entomologist highlights Western Firefly Project and local sightings
Summary
Christy Bills of the Natural History Museum of Utah briefed the Utah County Commission about the Western Firefly Project, describing citizen-science methods, a restricted sighting map, specimen curation, and a late-May to early-July flight window for local firefly populations.
Christy Bills, entomologist at the Natural History Museum of Utah, told the Utah County Commission on May 14 that the Western Firefly Project is a citizen-science effort documenting bioluminescent firefly populations across the Intermountain West.
Bills said the project, which began in 2013, uses public reports, postcards to parks and campgrounds and media outreach to locate populations. "A citizen science project is one where researchers need a lot of eyes on something," she said, adding that the team verifies new reports by dispatching vetted volunteers or investigators to sites.
The project has documented fireflies in 27 of Utah's 29 counties, she said, and has expanded to include verified or credible sightings in Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho and Montana. Bills said specimens collected as part of the effort are housed at the Natural History Museum of Utah, with some shared with other researchers. She told commissioners that the adult flight season for the local bioluminescent species is limited to late May through early July.
Bills said the public-facing sighting map once published detailed locations but was restricted after some reports led visitors to private property. "This information is only available to researchers now," she said, describing the decision to shield precise locations.
She advised residents not to collect fireflies except for formal scientific purposes, and to avoid bright lighting that can disrupt populations. "If you see fireflies, please report to our project and enjoy but don't collect, respect private property, and keep skies dark," she said. Bills noted that fireflies appear to thrive in irrigated pastures and near livestock where soil and moisture conditions suit their larvae.
On potential community benefits, Bills said public enthusiasm for fireflies could foster connections to nature and create managed tourism opportunities for small towns, while urging care to avoid disturbance.
The presentation concluded with an invitation for commissioners and residents to report sightings via the project's website for verification and inclusion in research records.
