Lampyridae
I hadn't seen these in a very long time. Now you can see them right here at Cullinan Park. Best time is at dusk.
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production of light, mainly during twilight, to attract mates. Each species has it's own light flashing pattern! Â
They produce cold light without infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. This chemically-produced light (bioluminescence) is from the lower abdomen may be green, yellow, amber or pale red with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers.
Light production in the Lampyridae is thought to have originated as a warning signal that the larvae were distasteful. This ability to create light was then co-opted as a mating signal and, in a further development, adult female fireflies of the genus Photuris mimic the flash pattern of the Photinus beetle in order to trap their males as prey.
Source: Wikipedia