PhilosophySciencePsychologySocietyCulture
EssaysVideos

Popular

About
DONATENEWSLETTER
/
/
Aeon
DONATE/NEWSLETTER/
/

    How crafty and deadly codebreakers complicate the business of firefly love

    Lampyridae, commonly known as fireflies, are a family of some 2,100 distinct types of insects known for their blinking bioluminescence at twilight. Most of the time, their lights are displayed to find mates. However, firefly love can quickly become a battlefield if a female of the genus Photuris becomes involved. As this video from the science and nature documentary series Deep Look demonstrates, these eastern US fireflies mimic the light shows of the mate-seeking females around them, luring nearby males before pouncing and devouring. Read more about this video at KQED Science.

    Video by KQED Science and PBS Digital Studios

    Producer and Writer: Elliott Kennerson

    Narrator and Writer: Lauren Sommer

    19 June 2018
    A dark cave ceiling illuminated by numerous glowing blue lights, resembling a starry night sky.

    videoBiology

    Glow worms mimic stars, creating a stunning faux night sky in a New Zealand cave

    4 minutes

    Glowing yellow and orange light orbs against a dark background, resembling fireflies or festive lights in the night.

    videoEvolution

    Flashing together: when fireflies meet LEDs, the result is a beautiful lightshow

    2 minutes

    Fireflies light up a dark forest at night, creating streaks of glowing yellow light against a backdrop of trees and a dark sky.

    videoEcology and environmental sciences

    Experience the dazzling displays that fireflies create when humans are far away

    5 minutes

    Close-up of a vibrant moth with orange and black patterned wings against a green background.

    videoBiology

    There’s no one way for an insect to fly, but they’re all amazing in close up and slo-mo

    7 minutes

    A close-up of a rosy maple moth with yellow and pink furry body and wings, set against a pastel purple background.

    videoBiology

    Witness the majesty of moths taking flight at 6,000 frames per second

    5 minutes

    Close-up of a large group of red and black spotted ladybirds clustered together.

    videoBiology

    Every winter, ladybirds break their solitude and assemble for a once-in-a-lifetime love-fest

    3 minutes

    A vibrant bird with golden yellow and bright red feathers, perched on the ground amid dry, dark twigs and foliage.

    videoEvolution

    Dilating pupils, wheezes and head-butts: the male bowerbird’s tips for seduction

    4 minutes

    A green origami insect on a dark green leaf with a red flower and a vibrant green-and-yellow background with shadowy leaves.

    videoBiology

    Coded vibrations and signal jamming – the secret language of the treehoppers

    5 minutes

    An insect with long legs and wings stands on a white surface against a blue background.

    videoBiology

    How insects become airborne, slowed down to a speed the human eye can appreciate

    8 minutes