Fireflies. They’re more than just glowy bugs you catch in the dead of night. Sometimes, they’re glowy bugs you catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
A firefly is not a fly. They’re actually a large order of beetles with over 2,000 individual species that all have one thing in common: they glow. Typically, it’s a small organ in the abdomen that produces a bioluminescent chemical that glows in the dark. Some species use this chemical for finding a mate, while other species use them as a way of tricking other fireflies into become a meal (yes, there’s a species of cannibalistic firefly out there).
The species featured in New Horizons is luciola lateralis, often called the Japanese firefly although it’s found all over Southeast Asia and even parts of Europe. The larvae of the Japanese firefly is aquatic, which helps explain why you typically find fireflies in New Horizons around bodies of water such as rivers and ponds.
They’re also nocturnal, so you’ll only find fireflies at night. On top of that, you can only find them for one month out of the year. They emerge from their larval stages, find a mate, and then die. Sad face.
Where To Find A Firefly
Fireflies are found only at night between the hours of 7 PM and 4 AM. They only appear in June in the Northern Hemisphere, and in December in the Southern Hemisphere. That gives you one month to catch one of these glowy bois, so be sure to grab one while you can.
Although fireflies typically spawn near or even over bodies of water, they can sometimes be found further inland just floating around. They’re easy to catch and won’t run away when approached, so feel free to grab your net and flail away until you nab one.
Fireflies can be sold for just 300 bells, so don’t expect firefly catching to be a particularly lucrative pastime.
