Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Researchers are trying to determine whether there is a new firefly species in Utah, and they want your help.
KSL-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1QOEYP8) that anyone who spots a firefly can visit a website hosted by the Natural History Museum of Utah to report details about sighting times and flash patterns.
They can also drop a pin on a Google map to share the sighting's exact location.
The citizens' reports will help researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, who want learn about potential genetic differences in Utah firefly populations.
BYU biology professor Seth Bybee says the glowing beetles have been in the state for about 50 years, maybe longer.
He says fireflies tend to light up around 9:30 in the evening but vary by species.
___
Information from: KSL-TV, http://www.ksl.com/
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.