We talk to Dave Almquist, Invertebrate Zoologist and Assistant Data Manager for the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). Dave is an entomologist, specifically, a coleopterist, a beetle specialist. Fireflies are beetles, and there are many ways in which they're not well understood. We learn about their life cycles, the surprising diversity of species in Florida, and how to observe them. You'll never look at a firefly flashing the same way again.
Dave also discusses rare Florida species, and how ordinary citizens can help researchers learn more about them. This was the last Coast to Canopy episode before we started recording a video version, but you can see photos of these firefly species on the WFSU Ecology Blog: https://blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/2025/06/fireflies-of-florida-coast-to-canopy-episode-4/
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