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Enjoy eerie glow of fireflies with a lightning-bug catcher

Fireflies can be fun to inspect, so I made a lightning-bug catcher to put them in.

A lightning bug catcher can be a temporary way to give you a close-up look at fireflies. (Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal/MCT)
A lightning bug catcher can be a temporary way to give you a close-up look at fireflies. (Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal/MCT)Read moreMCT
    by BY KATHY ANTONIOTTI, McClatchy Newspapers, McClatchy-Tribune
    Published 

HEAD OUTDOORS on a summer night, and you may be treated to a twinkling light show courtesy of Pennsylvania's state insect: the firefly.

Also known as lightning bugs, these small beetles are harmless to humans, but their bodies contain a chemical that can be deadly to predators. Their lights, which fireflies turn on and off at will, are the way in which they attract mates.

In the early '70s, students from Highland Park Elementary in Upper Darby put these bright bugs in the spotlight by campaigning to make the Pennsylvania firefly the official state insect. Their hard work paid off in 1974, when Gov. Milton J. Shapp approved the designation.

Fireflies can be fun to inspect, so I made a lightning-bug catcher to put them in using directions I found at ph.ly/BugCatcher. But be sure to release any bugs you catch after an hour or so.

Supplies you will need

* Scissors

* Ruler

* Black window screen

* Wire cutters

* 22-gauge wire

* Empty plastic jar

* Paintbrush and acrylic paint in black, orange and yellow

* Wood cutouts: two ovals and one teardrop

* Clear glitter

* White craft glue

* Two 10-millimeter oval wiggle eyes

* Low-temperature glue gun

How to make it

Cut a 6 1/2-inch-diameter circle from the window screen.

Ask an adult to help you cut a 24-inch length of wire. Weave the wire every 1/2-inch through the screening about 1-inch from the edge.

Place the screen on top of the jar, and tighten the wire around the jar's rim. Twist the wire ends together to secure. Coil the ends.

Paint both sides of the wood ovals black. Paint one-third of the rounded end of the teardrop orange, and the remaining two-thirds of the teardrop yellow to make the lightning bug wings and body. Set aside to dry.

Spread a thin coating of white craft glue on the wings, then sprinkle with clear glitter. Set aside to dry. Use craft glue to attach the wings to the body, glitter sides up. Glue wiggle eyes over the edge of the orange head.

With an adult's help, use the glue gun to attach the lightning bug to the jar's side.