A TikTok with over six million likes claims lightning bugs will soon go extinct. Experts push back.
MISSOURI, USA — Lights in the Midwest’s summer nights have grown dimmer over the past decades.
The glowing flicks of fireflies, or lightning bugs, trigger nostalgia and deeply held childhood memories for countless people. But the cherished insect is facing growing problems.
A 5 On Your Side viewer told the VERIFY team she hasn’t seen the awe-inspiring bugs in her yard for years. A recent TikTok video, liked by over six million people, also claimed “we’re the last generation” to see fireflies.
We dug into the facts to find out whether the bugs are actually under threat.
The question
Is it true that fireflies are going extinct?
Our sources
- The Butterfly House Manager of Collections Chris Hartley
- Missouri Department of Conservation Spokesperson Dan Zarlenga
The answer
No, fireflies/lightning bugs aren’t going extinct, but their populations are declining, specifically in highly human-populated areas.
What we found
There are thousands of species of fireflies throughout the world, and their populations are declining, according to our experts.
In 2024, U.S. officials proposed listing a firefly species as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act for the first time in the nation’s history.
The insects’ decline is mainly due to a large loss of habitat, driven by suburban lawns and insecticide use, according to Hartley.
“They need an area where leaves cover the ground for several years at a time,” Hartley told 5 On Your Side. “The firefly larva lives under leaves for two, sometimes even three years.”
Creating a safe haven for the insects can help the pollinators make a comeback, which include creating a portion of yards that are always covered by leaves, reducing insecticide use, and curbing overnight artifical light.
Despite one species of the bug being proposed for the “threatened” category, experts say the insects aren’t facing immediate extinction, despite what the extremely popular TikTok video claims. The common eastern firefly, the species most commonly seen in Missouri, is listed as a species of “least concern” by conservationists.
We can VERIFY: False, fireflies aren’t going extinct, but their populations are declining.
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