Scientists have published India's first comprehensive checklist of fireflies, recording 92 species in 27 genera based on records from 1881 to 2025. More than 60% of these species are endemic to India, and several have not been seen again since the 1800s.
The Western Ghats hold the greatest firefly diversity, followed by North East India and the Gangetic Plain. Fireflies are beetles of the family Lampyridae that glow through bioluminescence, a reaction involving luciferin, luciferase, oxygen and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Light pollution and urbanisation are driving their decline, underlining the need for conservation.