Mexico's firefly forest

[Judi Lynn]

Mexico's insect tourism is drawing in thousands of visitors to witness a rare light show put on by fireflies.

an hour ago

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The dance of aerial bioluminescence lasts for about one hour every night between the months of June and August, as male fireflies desperately compete for the attention of the females.

A new form of ecotourism is helping rejuvenate one of Mexico's poorest regions.

For three months each year, tens of thousands of tourists travel to see a magical spectacle.

They are gathering at Mexico’s firefly forest, which is open only in that time.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/mexicos-firefly-forest-190805072400167.html

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Fireflies illuminating this forest in Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala, #Mexico Photo by @pepe_soho Explore. Share



How Fireflies Are Keeping This Tiny Mexican Town Alive
In Nanacamilpa, a magical display of fireflies is attracting tourists by the thousands—now locals wonder how they can sustain the insect that brought them so much prosperity.

BY ERIK VANCE AND SALLY RÍOS KURI
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIRSTEN LUCE
PUBLISHED AUGUST 24, 2017

AS NIGHT FALLS on Laguna Azul, an ecotourism lodge on the outskirts of the Mexican hamlet of Nanacamilpa, it looks like rain, and a group of eight tourists nervously watch the sky. Their guides look unconcerned. Cold rain makes for a miserable walk, but the fireflies love it.

A younger guide introduces himself in a strong voice as an older one looks on, leaning on a thick walking stick. The guide lists the basic rules of the tour: walk only on the path, no wandering, no music, no alcohol, no insect repellent, no lamps, and absolutely no cell phones. Any light, even that of a cell phone display, can distract the fireflies.

The walk follows sprawling farmland up a hill to the very edge of the forest. The guides pass fields of wheat, barley, fava beans, and corn before stopping for a moment. They explain that the corn fields to our right are a native corn that doesn’t require pesticides. The hybrid corn to our left, abutting the forest, requires regular spraying.

In the forest we see pines, oaks, and a fir called oyamel. The crowd bunches and murmurs. Several children look bored and start to squirm. Then it begins, slowly—a blink here, a flash there. When the dusk fades, the fireflies come out in earnest.

More:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/firefly-fields-mexico-tourism-ecotourism/