Fireflies vs. Lightning Bugs: What Do You Call Them?
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If you ask us, summer is a magical time of year! From fun beach getaways with the whole family to afternoons spent grilling out in the backyard, the memories made during these warm months are oh so special. Here's one we love to reminisce on: watching fireflies light up the night... or wait, are they called lightning bugs? What's the difference?
That's what Ree Drummond recently took to Instagram to find out.
According to National Geographic, lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, are common across the country, especially in the eastern and central states. And they've already made an appearance at the Drummond ranch! In a series of clips posted to her Instagram Stories, Ree gave her followers a glimpse of the Oklahoman summertime magic.
She then went on to ask the age-old question: do you call them fireflies or lightning bugs?
It's a debate that comes around every year. But here's the thing: there's no right or wrong name for these incandescent insects. It actually just depends on where you grew up! According to Business Insider, Southerners and most folks in the Midwest tend to say lightning bug, while firefly is the common term out West and up north in New England. One researcher even found that lightning bug is more often used in parts of the country where lightning strikes are more frequent. How enlightening! (Get it?)
And interestingly enough, there are several other names floating around out there as well! Candlefly, lamp bug, glowworm, and moon bug are all used to describe the flashing critters.
Anyway, back to the debate: Ree's Instagram poll shows that lightning bugs are in the lead... for now. Though The Pioneer Woman herself did refer to them as fireflies so that has to count for something, right? 😉
Whatever you call them, we can all agree on one thing: they're a beautiful sign of summer that we love to watch dance in the sky all season long!
