Scientists say lightning bugs are having a revival this year – but they’re concerned about the insects’ long-term viability

Even in areas of the US where there are typically fireflies, people are especially excited to see them this year because there appear to be more this summer after a steady decline in recent years, according to scientists.

Despite that welcome news, researchers caution that it does not necessarily signal a reversal of the downward trend. They remain concerned about the long-term viability of the firefly family, which includes more than 2,000 species, some of which are at risk of extinction due to factors such as light pollution and climate change.

“It’s been really uplifting to hear all of the reports of huge increases in fireflies,” said Candace Fallon, senior endangered species conservation biologist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “But they are also insects, and insects are notorious for having populations that bounce up and down each year, and so it’s hard to say that their populations are increasing from a single year of data.”