Habitat of Fireflies and Their Prey, Muju

Fireflies belong to the family Lampyridae. They are commonly called gaettongbeolle ('dung beetle'), and in recent academic usage are also called bandingtbuli. A firefly produces light from the tip of its abdomen as a signal for mating, and because the length of time before a given species begins to glow differs from one species to another, this timing is an important feature for telling species apart. Two kinds of firefly inhabit the area around Seolcheon-myeon in Muju: the aebanditbul and the neutbanditbul. The larvae of the aebanditbul live in water and feed on freshwater snails, while the larvae of the neutbanditbul live in damp undergrowth and feed on land snails and other molluscs. The aebanditbul can be seen from mid-June to mid-July, and the neutbanditbul is most often seen from mid-August to mid-September. There is a stream 18–25 m wide in Seolcheon-myeon; because its current flows gently, its water temperature is suitable, and its water is alkaline, the freshwater snails and land snails on which the fireflies feed grow well there. An old four-character expression about fireflies, hyeongseoljigong, meaning roughly 'the achievement won by firefly[-light] and snow[-light]', is still told today. It comes from a story of the Chinese state of Jin, in which Che Yin studied by the light of fireflies and Sun Kang studied by light reflected off snow, and both went on to achieve success. Since ancient times, fireflies have been regarded as insects of great value for the education of the young. Fireflies are of biological importance as light-emitting insects, but environmental pollution has destroyed their habitats across the country, leaving them at risk of extinction. The area around Seolcheon-myeon, Muju, home to the largest number of fireflies in Korea, together with the habitat of the freshwater snails on which they feed, has accordingly been designated and protected as a natural monument.

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Where it is

Region

Muju, Jeonbuk

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물