Botany Guides Kingdom Fungi Eco Alerts Fun Facts Reedshark Hunter Desktop Dereth Archaeology Lithomorphism TDC Explorer	How do Fireflies Glow? The common firefly is actually a beetle of the same Coleoptera family as the domesticated beetles popularly kept as pets by the Tonk. Fireflies are found mainly in the tropical regions of Omishan, though sightings have been recorded on the southern tip of Osteth. Because they are both nocturnal and shy, fireflies are seldom seen, and the best place to look for them is in the "lamp" pods in the dungeons of the Vesayan region or among the swampy grasslands of Kydi. The "fire" is actually a bioluminescent chemical reaction created in a specialized organ on the underside of the abdomen. Luciferin is mixed with oxygen, in a process similar to that which tyrants use to produce their hotter, more destructive brand of fire (note: Tyrants are not members of the Coleoptera family). The firefly uses its light as a means of communication, primarily during the mating season, but also to warn its brethren of any nearby predators. The primary predator of the firefly is the burun, and observers in the field have occassionally seen burun hold frenzied firefly feasts to the point that they begin to glow themselves. It is not yet known if the firefly lamps found on Omishan are a symbiotic relationship between insect and plant, a natural nesting place for the firefly, or a cache made by the burun, either to light their dungeons and trailways or for midnight snacking.
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