Observation: Phausis reticulata
Primary Observer:
Heather Guibault
Event Date:
2026-06-30
Status:
Unreviewed
Survey
Site Name:
Undisclosed
Province/State:
North Carolina
Event Date:
2026-06-30
Time of Day:
Night-Time
Start Time:
21:45
End Time:
22:35
Number of Observers:
1
Primary Observer:
Heather Guibault
Additional Observers:
 
target_species_genus:
phausis
target_species_species:
reticulata
Location and Habitat
Location Accuracy (meters):
0-25
Habitat Type:
Woodland/Forest - Trees dominant, and in the over-story
Habitat Type Notes:
 
Elevation (meters):
Unknown
Area Searched (hectares):
0
Artificial Light Sources
Vehicles: No
Street Lights: No
Buildings: No
Street Lights: No
Buildings: No
Artificial Light Types
Sky Glow (diffuse illumination in the sky): No
Light Trespass (light cast on surfaces beyond its intended target): Yes
Glare (bright light causing visual discomfort): No
Light Trespass (light cast on surfaces beyond its intended target): Yes
Glare (bright light causing visual discomfort): No
Artificial Light Notes:
 
Observation
Observation Type:
Without Flash Data
Number Observed:
1
genus:
phausis
Species:
reticulata
Observation Notes:
Was staying at an AirBnB. Previous night had issue with nest of yellowjackets, so all exterior and interior lights were turned off the evening of June 30th. About 9:45 PM, I put the phone on charging dock. The dock has a small green strip that lights up for about 10 seconds when you place a device on the dock. Not long after this light turned off, I saw a steady green light dancing on the ceiling for at least a minute. During this time, I grabbed my phone off of the charger and tried to record a video. I could see a blurry green dot moving on the screen, but the video did not save. It took a little while to figure it out, but he was doing a mating dance for my charging dock. He'd dance around the room, I'd take my phone off the charger and try to get a video, he'd stop, I'd put my phone back on the charger, he'd start dancing again. This happened 3 or 4 times, and somewhere in between I looked up fireflies that don't blink, but stay solid. When I realized this was likely a very rare occurrence, I waited until I knew where he had landed, turned on the overhead light so I could find him, scooped him into a dustpan I had found, and placed him on the deck outside to find a real mate.
At the time, I did not know these generally fly very low and on a forest floor. He likely came from the pine trees across the gravel road. If I had looked over that way, I may have seen additional fireflies. It was my last night there, so now I'll never know for sure, but maybe you can observe.
In the house, he had stayed close to the ceiling, and flew up and down, and in tight circles.
I also took a picture of him.
Specimen Voucher Number:
Flash Behavior
First Flash Time:
 
Last Flash Time:
 
First Flash Temp (F):
 
Last Flash Temp (F):
 
Flashes in Pattern:
 
Flash Color:
 
Flash Pattern Period:
 
Flash Duration:
 
Flash Interval:
 
Male Height Zone:
Flash Location:
 
Male Flash Behavior:
 
Female Flash Behavior:
 


