Fireflies are doing their annual takeover of New York and it looks damn beautiful

While here in Aus the brightest bugs we encounter are cockroaches that've worked out how to break into your house and steal an entire loaf of bread and a pack of darts you left on the kitchen bench; inhabitants of New York and other cities on the east coast of the US are treated to a show from a much prettier (and much less invasive) type of luminescent insect each summer. The Lampyridae are a family of winged beetles, commonly known as fireflies in the States, and the warmer months see millions upon millions of the little critters putting on a spectacular show throughout the eastern half of the US. Fireflies offer up an impressive light display during their mating season, which lasts for around three weeks each year, during which time they use a chemical reaction in their abdomen called bioluminescence to create the other-worldly glow. Male fireflies jet around in the air, aiming to attract females with personalised flash sequences; to which the females, who are waiting in bushes and on the ground below, reply.

New York-based photographer Pete Mauney captures the fireflies' mating season each year, compiling a breathtaking catalogue of images of nature's most beautiful rave lighting.

H/T: Messy Nessy

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