July 2021 Bug Box (Big Dipper Firefly)

Did you miss the firefly-themed Bug Box? A few more Deluxe boxes are available now, featuring two enamel pins, a vinyl sticker sheet, an iron-on patch, a magnetic fact card, and a screen-printed tote. This box is loaded with glow-in-the-dark goodness!

Each summer, the “Big Dipper”, or common eastern firefly, puts on one of nature’s greatest light shows across North America. Using the “lanterns” on their abdomens, males flash yellow-green while flying and dipping low in a unique “J” shape, and females flash a response.

Big Dippers are friends to your garden. While nectarivorous males barely eat, females and larvae hunt slugs and other pests voraciously.

All fireflies are sensitive to light pollution, pesticides, and habitat loss. Keeping some natural brush and turning outdoor lights off during their mating season can help welcome them to your yard.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Bug Box in the future, so you never miss out.