PA Firefly Community Science Project

The PA Firefly Community Science Firefly Blitz in Clarion County is a summer-long community science initiative running from June 1 through September 1, 2026. This program enlists local residents or campers to search for and document the diversity and distribution of firefly species across the county's varied landscapes—from backyards, campsites, farm fields and the banks of the Clarion River to the deep woods of the Allegheny National Forest or Cook Forest State Park. 

 

Who Can Help: 

We encourage community members (residents or campers) including high school & college students, naturalists, hikers, gardeners and nature lovers of any kind to contribute scientific data including photos to help researchers understand Pennsylvania's firefly populations, which are currently being inventoried statewide.  Submit your searches and sightings here by completing this Google form.  

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Time Commitment:

While the Firefly Blitz spans the entire summer, peak activity in Clarion County typically occurs from late June through early July. Fireflies are most active on warm, calm nights between 8:30 pm and 11 pm when temperatures are above 50 degrees. You don't have to go out every night. A minimum of twice a month would provide good data. Weekly would be ideal. Even if you don't see fireflies every time, you can help to determine beginning and ending of a season by reporting the absence of fireflies on a given night in a given location.

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Commonly Available Equipment:

• printed form

• red-filtered flashlight or head lamp

• smart phone or tablet

• butterfly net

• plastic sandwich bag

First, print the form to take with you when you go out to search. You will then know what to look for in the moment. Take notes on the form or on your phone. You can also make voice recordings. When you get home to your computer, you can then fill in your answers to all the questions and submit. You will also be able to submit multiple searches, species and locations.  Use any smart phone with a weather app to tell you the time, temperature and location (GPS). Use a child's butterfly net from a dollar store to catch fireflies. A plastic resealable sandwich bag works well to hold the firefly in place while you take a close up photo of the top and bottom of the firefly. Be sure to release the firefly in the same location that same night.  

 

Best Practices for Firefly Community Scientists:

To protect the fireflies, and ensure your safety and the accuracy of your data, please follow these "Leave No Trace" principles especially:

• BE PREPARED: Dress for the weather and for being in the forest, wear long sleeves and pants and sturdy shoes or boots; bring a walking stick & water bottle, and go before sunset.

• Lighting: Sparingly use only red-filtered flashlights. White or amber lights can blind fireflies and disrupt their mating cycles. Keep lights focused on the ground and extinguish as soon as possible

• Handling: Catch and release. Use a butterfly net to gently catch for a quick photo. Do not catch or handle the insects if wearing insect repellents; descriptions may be sufficient for the data collection if you cannot catch them. See photography tips on Fireflyatlas.org.

• Habitat Protection: Stay on designated trails to avoid trampling pupae, larvae or eggs hidden in the leaf litter. Fireflies do not migrate. They are present even when we don't see flashing displays including the fall and during the day.

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More Training:

Go to Fireflyatlas.org to learn more about firefly species identification, threatened or data-deficient species, helpful tips, safety guidelines and training videos. Alternatively, you may consider registering on Fireflyatlas.org to log in your observations for surveys or as incidental observations. You can also register and upload your photos to iNaturalist.org  for help in getting species clarification and verification. 

 

Privacy and Data:

Your data and privacy are important to the survey. The firefly data you provide will only be shared to researchers. Your name and email will not be shared or disclosed publicly. 

 

For help or more information contact us at pafireflyfestival@gmail.com or call 814-230-2035.