4 Swallowtails in the Smokies

When you are near the Smoky Mountains, you learn to look all around you.  Because when you submerse yourself in the forest and look up, you might find a delightful scene or animal, not just another traffic light.  I took this photo of the Spicebush Swallowtail in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but I saw one resting on a branch near our cabin too.  The iridescent blue makes me believe this one is a female.  The males are bright green.

 

The Spicebush Swallowtail is found only in the Eastern US and extreme southern Ontario.  While it is the state butterfly for Mississippi, I felt surounded by them in TN to my delight.  The Tennessee official butterfly is the Zebra Swallowtail, a black and white striped butterfly.  TN recognizes 2 other insects, the firefly and ladybug and a state agricultural insect (honeybee).  The firefly was designated the official state insect in 1975.  The importance of the firefly, commonly called lightning bug, to the state was one of the inspirations for our cabin name Lightning Bug Lodge.

Swallowtails are the largest butterflies in the United States.  There are 33 species in the US; besides the Spicebush and Zebra, there are four other swallowtails found in the Smokies:  1) Pipevine Swallowtail, 2) Giant Swallowtail, 3) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and 4) Black Swallowtail.

An Inspirational Fireflies Song by Owl City

Fireflies or lightning bugs, whatever you choose to call them, they light up the night.  They remind me of hot summer nights, chasing them, barefoot in the grass.  Looks like nature, childhood, and fireflies helped inspire a hit song and the song was one of my inspirations for the Lightning Bug Lodge name.  Here's the lyrics from Owl City:

"You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

Leave my door open just a crack
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
Why do I tire of counting sheep
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep
To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I'll know where several are
If my dreams got real bizarre
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams"

Okay, I admit to using a photo of fireworks instead of fireflies.  If you have any photos of fireflies that I can use on this blog, please send!

Which 2 places in the world can you find the Synchronous Fireflies?

An invitation to see the synchronous fireflies (or lightning bugs) would read something like this:

What:  A magical natural light show
Guest Stars:  Synchronous Lightning Bugs, 1 of 2,000 firefly species, less than 1% of fireflies
Who:  the first 800-900 people
Where:  Great Smoky Mountain National Park or Southeast Asia
When:  2 weeks in June, approx. June 6-14th, nightly show at approx. 9-9:30PM

Yes, the synchronous lightning bugs are only found in GSMNP (Elkmont campground as most well known location within the park) or Southeast Asia (specifically the rivers in Kampang Kuantan Malaysia).  For me, the GSMNP location in TN would be much closer and cheaper trip.

For many years the only known synchronous fireflies in the world were found in Malaysia.  It was within our lifetime that the lightning bugs were documented as being in the US too (1994).  In the early 1990's an Elkmont community resident & naturalist noticed the lightning bugs in Elkmont.  She convinced a professor at Georgia Southern University to visit. 

Are these lighning bugs exactly the same in 2 far apart places?  Although both flash in synchrony, the light pattern is different.  The Asian lightning bugs oscillate their flashing in a metronome like manner (on, off, on, off) in a regular sequence.  However, the Elmont fireflies flash in a series of about six blinks and then pause for awhile before starting again.  Why the difference, I'm not certain.  I think scientists have a lot more to learn about these newly found beetles.

If you accepted such invitation, here's the directions you would be given:

Where:  Park at the GSMNP Sugarland Visitors Center, ride the $1 Gatlinburg Trolley to the Elkmont campground.  Please note Elkmont entrance closes to cars 5PM to Midnight

When:  Trolleys begin at 6PM & end when full or 9PM (previous reports of being full at 7:30PM or earlier).  Trolley to site runs every 20-25 minutes.  Trolley returns up to 11PM.

What to bring:  Flashlights with red cellophane, lawn chairs & blankets, food & water in backpacks.  No alcohol or pets.  Please note there is no service at the site & only portable potties.