Cymrian fireflies

Description

Cymrian fireflies are given a similar respect in the region of Cymru as the Summer Lark, despite their potentially dangerous trait. They appear as small, at most 8 mm bugs with a whitish end and yellowish wings. Their black frustules are shiny with veiny grooves along the length. At night, the end glows with warm colors ranging from yellow to deep red.

Lifecycle

Once the light-dominant firefly attracts the other of opposite sex with their glow, they mate and lay eggs. While their light slowly dims out, they search for quiet places in deeper parts of the woods and mountain valleys to lay dormant for several weeks. Somewhere around the Autumn Equinox they may form small swarms flying towards colder upper parts of the mountain valleys. Cymrian fireflies are seldomly found dead, which sprouted several myths around them and their light.

Typically, 50–150 eggs are laid over one week in moist and partially dark places like valley crevices and darker parts of the moss-overgrown woods. The eggs are pale green, half the size of a flax seed. They may glow faintly, the light being sourced by the parent with the stronger glow.

The eggs undergo a dormant stage, which requires freezing temperature over the course of several weeks. Coming spring, the larvae hatch and begin locating their first preys. Most larvae are black with a usually green marble pattern on the back. In most cases the color of the pattern predicts the color of the light of the adult form.

For the first several years the larvae hunt close to their birthplace. Their prey usually on snails and beetles but many other animals, typically small, feeding on green plants are no exception.

Every half a year the larvae moult and become larger. When they reach about the size of a pinky finger, they undergo a final moulting and reach full maturity. Their size reduces dramatically; the adult form will easily fit on a small fingernail.

Adult fireflies become fully nocturnal. Right after breaking out, their sense of scent is extremely potent. While all furry animals can attract the cymrian fireflies, it seems the sheep remain the most common, followed by the marmots and, in mountaineous regions, hares and goats. Lured by the scent a cymrian firefly will feed on the greas and secrete a brownish red substance, causing the fleece to become reddish. Adult fireflies do not need to feed as much as the larvae; a single "feast" is enough to support them for three to four weeks. This becomes aparent in the ginger colouration of the fleece, which fades out over time.

Habitat

They appear to favor the close vicinity of forest streams and slightly flooded forests but necessarily with a flowing water and a sandy bottom. If anything, these insects do not take rot and decay well, which makes the sight of the fireflies nearby a good indicator of high purity of the water.

Symbiosis

Sheep

Lovely creatures by Richard Tao

Cymrian fireflies and sheep have formed a mutual interaction during the course of land populating. By secreting pigments into the wool's greas, the sheep are much less prone to external parasites such as fleas or ticks. More than that, during the early spring and throughout the summer time, the herd is protected from night predators as well. The fireflies on the other hand maintain cozy conditions and store fat to live through the autumn and winter. The firefly-lighted sleeping herd is considered one of the most beautiful sights in Cymru.

Marmots

While sheep make for a good friends through summer and autumn, it is marmots they sleep over the winter period. The lower temperatures of mountain caves and burrows decrease the need to nourish their small bodies. What is interesting however is that even then, the fireflies do not cease to glow, and occasionally synchronise to make their light pulsing in unison or in varying pattern, like waves or wiggling stripes. The hibernating marmots are very rarely found as they are in general shy and wary. Even so, people who saw them in the caves spoken of cuddly furry creatures, glowing in the dark as if their fur was the light itself.

Cuddly mountain marmots by PxHere (edited by Angantyr)

Potential hazards

The ginger fleece

While the Cymrian fireflies are not dangerous, the same cannot be said of their effect on wool. The fleece undergoes a change in color, becoming ginger in white sheep to dark ginger-brown in dark ones. All color modifications are due to secretion of pigment along with greas, on which the fireflies feed. The substance is harmless to touch, but becomes life threatening when in contact with sweat. It then readily dissolves forming a firm contact with the skin and causing severe irritation and burns. In some cases, especially with children, this usually ends with the wool being torn off, together with the skin.

The forest scalp

Occasionally people, especially those seldomly visiting Cymru around summer, commit foolish acts of sleeping near the forest river banks or on forest meadows. This of course ends up with fireflies being lured by the scent of human grease and sweat, and leads to a similar result as touching the ginger fleece, but happening directly on the scalp. Typically even before the night ends, the sleepyhead wakes up and runs through the forest screaming and ripping their hair out, until the pain is gone. As the hair comes of with the skin, the condition was nicknamed the forest scalp.

Countermeasures

Ginger fleece was known in Cymru as far as anyone can remember, so it comes to no surprise that people have found a way to cope with the problem. The most common countermeasure is used in the cleansing ritual before the Summer Solstice festival. Ashen soap is used to clean the body thoroughly to get rid of the grease, with special care for more hairy parts. Then one rinses the cleaned place with diluted flower or berry vinegar to neutralise the alkaline soap. The type of vinegar does not matter from the process standpoint, but more fragrant and colourful ones are usually used aroung the Summer Solstice festival.

Fun fact

Their breeding grounds (especially forest meadows) typically coincide with the Summer Soltice festival is held.