I’ve always loved fireflies. Like a lot of people, I grew up seeing them as part of summer. They were small lights in the dark. They were beautiful and easy to take for granted. That changed when I caught my first female Photuris frontalis.
I had been told that people almost never find them. Then I found one. Then another. And eventually I realized this was not a fluke. Over multiple seasons in Southeast Louisiana, I kept returning to the same kinds of places. I paid attention to faint flashes, low movement, and wooded edges. I also observed small details most people would never think to watch for. I began keeping records of what I was seeing. I noted where the females were and how they behaved. I observed when they flashed and when they stayed dark. I also noted what seemed to matter in the field.
This site is a home for those observations. It includes field notes, seasonal logs, photos, and videos. There are also reports centered on Photuris frontalis, especially the females. These females remain far less often observed and documented in the wild.
I’m not writing as someone with all the answers. I’m writing as an independent field observer. I have spent a lot of time outside. I pay close attention and make careful notes. I try to record what is there as honestly as possible. Some of what I share here is raw. Some of it is more polished. Everything I present originates from firsthand observation. I have a genuine desire to preserve useful information. This is for others who care about these fireflies.
What began as simple fascination turned into documentation. And the more I saw, the more I realized these small moments in the dark were worth keeping.
The light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
— John 1:5