Blue Ghost Fireflies

David Ostergaard holding a blue ghost firefly for a long exposure.

Walk in the woods of the Southern Appalachian Mountains as night in early spring and you may be lucky enough to spot tiny fairies carrying blue candles, gliding over the forest floor.  That's what blue ghost fireflies look like to the naked eye.  They are very rare and can only be found in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and in Texas, just North of Mexico.  They're small and shy, but if you're in the right place at the right time and are patient, you may be lucky enough to see a few.  Even smaller than their more common firefly cousins, they glow for long periods of time, sometimes up to a minute.  I went on a hike in Dupont Forest with David Ostergaard and Tina Herring.  David was quick enough to catch one and I photographed it in his hand.  They photographed green, but to my eye their light looked light blue.

Katie