Firefly season will be here in a flash.
(In some places, it already is!)

After a 2025 firefly season that included both dazzling firefly displays and worrisome headlines about firefly declines (it is a nuanced situation!), we are all wondering what the 2026 lightning bug season will bring. Let’s make it one of the discoveries and increase commitment to conservation. Brush up on your firefly survey skills by attending an upcoming virtual Firefly Atlas Q&A, read about Californian fireflies, and learn about lost fireflies (gone, or just ignored?).

Download the Atlas here: https://www.fireflyatlas.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Guide-to-Establishing-Firefly-Sanctuaries_2025-05-15.pdf

Got questions about Firefly Atlas surveys? Join an upcoming Q&A.

Have you watched the Firefly Atlas training videos and maybe even done a survey or two, but want more guidance on planning firefly surveys, documenting flash patterns, or entering data?

Sign up for one of the upcoming Firefly Atlas Q&A webinars!

April 9th, Thursday, 1-2 PM Eastern — Register

April 29th, Wednesday, 12-1 PM Eastern —Register

May 5th, Tuesday, 7:30-8:30 PM Eastern — Register

Species profiles for both common and rare fireflies

The Firefly Atlas website now hosts new-and-improved profiles of 19 species, including 13 focal species of conservation concern and six common, widespread species that you are more likely to encounter.

Check out the profiles of common species

Check out the profiles of Firefly Atlas focal species

On the hunt for lost firefly species

There are nearly 30 species of firefly in the United States that have not been recorded in over a decade. A new Firefly Atlas campaign shines a light on these fireflies and provides guidance for adventurous naturalists ready to search for them. Rediscovering a lost firefly species may be as simple as being in the right place at the right time.