When Do Lightning Bugs Come in Spring?

Timing

• Male and female lightning bugs mate in the spring. Females lay approximately 50 eggs that will hatch in about three weeks, typically in July. Growth takes place in the soil where larvae overwinter in the soil then transform into lightning bugs ready for emergence the following spring.

Arrival

• Typically, lightning bugs emerge around the end of May or beginning of June for the spring mating ritual. Male lightning bugs take to the sky and begin flashing, with the help of the chemical luciferase, to attract females for mating purposes.

Considerations

• Lightning bugs only live two to four weeks. At least 136 species of lightning bugs exist. Lightning bugs prefer the soil and environment east of the Rocky Mountains and areas with limited lights, such as rural environments.