Community mapping under the title “Prague Is Looking for Glow-worms” is now getting underway in Prague, intending to find out where these glowing beetles thrive best in the capital city. Scientists are inviting the general public to help collect data by sharing their observations via the iNaturalist platform or the project’s Facebook profile. This year, entomologists are focusing on the common glow-worm, a species in which only the flightless females glow. “Without high-quality information on their occurrence, we cannot prevent the decline not only of glow-worms, but of organisms in general,” says project leader Martin Novák from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at CZU in Prague.
Glow-worms and fireflies have been declining worldwide in recent decades, mainly due to light pollution and habitat loss, particularly in urban environments. With financial support from Prague City Hall, the project therefore invites the public to observe them during the period when they are most active – usually from mid-June to mid-July.
This year’s edition focuses primarily on the common glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca). Its occurrence in Prague has so far been only poorly mapped, as it is relatively difficult to find in the field. Males do not glow while flying, whereas the wingless females, which at first glance resemble larvae, are easily recognizable by their glowing “lantern” at the end of the abdomen. They are most often found on the ground or on low vegetation, where they use their light to attract males. “The involvement of residents is essential for us. We would never be able to obtain such detailed data, including from sites known only to them,” says Martin Novák.
Members of the public can share their glow-worm observations with scientists in the project’s Facebook group, “Praha hledá světlušky”, or through the project of the same name on iNaturalist. All information on how and when to observe glow-worms and how to get involved in the project is available on the project website.
The project is implemented by the Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague. People from other parts of the Czech Republic can also join the mapping of all glow-worm and firefly species at any time through the nationwide initiative “Česko hledá světlušky”, which runs on the same platforms.
