Amphawa, a charming village located about an hour southwest of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, lies at the curve of the Mae Klong River. Until recently, it was a popular destination for tourists who flocked there to witness an enchanting evening light show as thousands of male fireflies (Pteroptyx malaccae) gathered in the mangroves, flashing in perfect synchrony.
City Lights and Firefly Decline
Since 2004, the local government has actively promoted firefly tourism in Amphawa. Within just a few years, hundreds of motorboats filled the river each night, ferrying eager tourists.
"It looked like a giant Christmas tree covered in tiny, twinkling lights," recalls Anchana Thancharoen, an entomologist at Kasetsart University who has studied fireflies for over two decades. However, as she notes, the rapid development of hotels, restaurants, and infrastructure soon transformed this peaceful province into a bustling urban area.
While firefly tourism has become increasingly popular globally, the very tourists seeking these luminous spectacles are contributing to light pollution and habitat degradation, which now threaten the fireflies' survival. By 2014, the population of fireflies in Amphawa had plummeted by 80%. Today, most visitors come to Amphawa for its floating markets rather than the once-dazzling firefly displays.
The Love Language of Fireflies
Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are actually beetles from the family Lampyridae, known for their ability to produce cold light. There are roughly 2,000 species worldwide, particularly thriving in tropical regions and forests.
These bioluminescent insects produce light through a chemical process known as bioluminescence, in which luciferin, a chemical in the firefly’s body, reacts with oxygen to create a glow. This light, particularly in Malaysian fireflies, is nothing short of breathtaking.
“It’s the love language of fireflies,” explains Thancharoen. While females and larvae of some species also glow, it’s typically the males who put on the most impressive shows. Hundreds of male fireflies gather on mangrove trees, emitting flashes of light in perfect unison, transforming the tree into a glowing beacon visible from hundreds of meters away. These synchronized flashes help females locate their mates.
However, many female fireflies lack wings, making them especially vulnerable to human activity, such as trampling, in areas with high tourism.
The Rise of Insect Tourism
Researchers have mapped firefly tourism across 13 countries in North America, Asia, and Europe through interviews, surveys, and internet searches. Firefly watching has a long tradition in countries like Japan, says Sara Lewis, an evolutionary ecologist at Tufts University who studies fireflies' mating behaviors.
In recent years, however, firefly tourism has surged, driven in part by the viral images people share on social media. This rise in popularity is part of a broader trend known as entomotourism—tourism centered around insects. “There’s been a tremendous growth in insect festivals; some are incredibly large,” says Glen Hvenegaard, an environmental scientist from the University of Alberta.
Each year, tens of thousands of tourists travel to witness natural insect spectacles like the monarch butterfly migrations in Mexico, glowworm caves in New Zealand and Australia, and various insect festivals worldwide.
In 2019 alone, researchers estimated that over a million people traveled to witness fireflies, which provides significant economic benefits to local communities. However, tourism doesn’t always benefit the insects themselves. Engaging local communities and drawing upon their traditional knowledge is crucial for sustainable tourism. Local guides, for instance, can help ensure that insect tourism not only educates visitors but also encourages the protection and conservation of these delicate creatures.
published 11 March 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.391; Firefly tourism: Advancing a global phenomenon toward a brighter future
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