Fireflies in Memphis - I want more!
Five years ago I moved into a house about a quarter mile from where Priscilla Presley used to get her hair done. I'm really IN the city. And in my yard is this huge 250-300 YO Swamp Oak, it's not a big yard but it's a huge tree and beneath it are native black cherry trees and serviceberry. My yard is ALIVE with wildlife!
First summer here I saw we had about 5 fireflies up in the canopy of the oak and I thought, "I want more!". Second year and I learned that there are daytime lightning bugs (Lucidota atra - and I have them here!) . And then I learned that some species of fireflies are carnivorous with the daytime lightning bugs. I learned the importance of leaf litter and I started to try to capture the fallen leaves from the mighty oak.
Since I learned all this, I have planted understory trees and shrubs to provide more shade and block out our street lights. We had a large branch from the oak tree fall. My husband chopped it up and I've been trying to incorporate these logs into the landscape and just let them decompose because I know that's important even if I'm not sure why, except snails.
And this spring I was digging around in the yard and everywhere I dug there were pupa stage fireflies (at least I think)!
Here is why I'm worried and seeking encouragement, we have a lot of invasive plants that we have been trying to get under control and I don't have a lot of plants that grow to the height that female fireflies like to admire from. In the area that they have normally flashed has been cut down because of this and it's mostly mondo grass.
Do you think if I jabbed like sticks into the ground that would suffice? We are almost there for this year and any advice is welcome!!!