Fireflies are flourishing in Colorado

The big picture: Mild, moist spring conditions were ideal for fireflies this year in much of the country, including Colorado, where they can be spotted in select areas along the Front Range.

Zoom in: In Colorado — home to at least five species of the luminous insects — they emerge between late June and early July around the Front Range's wetlands, CPR reports.

• Populations in Boulder and Fort Collins were active from about mid-June until early July, with "larger than usual activity levels," University of Colorado Boulder researcher Owen Martin tells us.
• Fireflies may still be spotted in the mountains, but it's harder to find them, Owen adds.

How they work: Fireflies lay their eggs in moist soil and leaf litter, emerging in the spring and early summer.

• More than 2,000 species of fireflies exist, producing light in different ways.

What's next: Scientists in Boulder are using photos of evening firefly activity to research their behavior.

• Martin wants to develop a tool to identify fireflies by their flash patterns to help protect areas where they thrive, CPR reports.