IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group
October 12, 2023
We are concerned about the planning and construction of the “Shenhai-Expressway, Huocun-Shangshan Section Reconstruction and Expansion Project” in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The expansion from six lanes to twelve lanes, will destroy the habitat of ten firefly species. Preservation of firefly habitats is the foundation of protecting firefly populations. We sincerely hope that Chinese Government Departments can recognize, treasure and preserve this rare, complex habitat of ten firefly species.
As an important ecological indicator, fireflies play an important role in regional biodiversity, water quality and environmental health. The preservation and continuation of its population is always an important topic of ecological researches.
As a result of human activities and land development, together with the light pollution caused by artificial light at night, water pollution and pesticide outflow, the firefly habitats have been severely reduced. Numbers of fireflies in China have declined sharply in recent decades.
This section of the expressway is also known as the Guangzhou North Second Ring Expressway. The bright headlights of passing vehicles, together with the scattered street lights, are serious threat to the firefly populations. It is the dense vegetation, ponds, and wetlands here that protect them. This habitat of ten species of fireflies in urban Guangzhou is particularly precious.
During the survey for one and a half months from May 1st to June 15th, 2023, ten species of fireflies have been recorded here, including Luciola curtithorax, Curtos fulvocapitalis, Rhagophthalmus sp., and an unknown species. Little is known about the ecology of theses species and currently it is almost impossible to preserve them through artificial breeding and habitat creation.
These fireflies are highly dependent on their particular habitats, and they are not capable to escape when their habitats is being destroyed. Most of the time (half a year to a year), they are in the larval stage, with very limited mobility. The aquatic species, Luciola leii, adults of which only fly for about a week for mating, and remain as larvae, living only in the ponds. Among the firefly species we found, adult females of the unknown Rhagophthalmus sp., Pyrocoelia analis, Pyrocoelia lunata, Diaphanes sp. and the unknown species, are all wingless. As the female lays the eggs and thus contributes to the following generation, such lack of mobility restricts them to the one area. Destroying their habitat would destroy their subpopulations in the area.
For these ten species of fireflies that are highly dependent on habitat and difficult to move away, how can they be preserved in this large scale expressway expansion project? The construction work would cause irreparable ecological losses.
We provide some references on the contradiction between protecting fireflies and construction works:
(1) The Japanese Government gave up building railways in order to protect fireflies, and through the joint efforts of local governments, scientific research institutions and private groups, many firefly watching locations were established which attract large numbers of tourists every years;
(2)XinXian Trail (a firefly habitat) in New Taipei City was paved with cement or asphalt during the renovation project after typhoon damage, and this activity was questioned as a threat to the fireflies. Finally, the construction plan was integrated with firefly protection elements.
In order to protect this precious home of fireflies, we are very willing to provide professional assistance, and we hope:
1. The Chinese Government can prudently review the construction plan of the expressway expansion, to try to retain the firefly habitats, or to develop firefly tourism as in other regions of China.
2. The firefly habitat in this area can be further protected in the future, for example:
(1) Take measures to deal with the light pollution problem of the existing highway and reduce impacts to firefly reproduction;
(2) Establish a firefly protection core zone
We sincerely hope that in this firefly habitat, in the next year, the year after, and in the future, the amazing light will continue to shine in the dark night.
Sincerely,
Members of the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group
Appendix 1: Ecological survey of fireflies next to the Guangzhou Expansion Expressway in Guangdong, China（https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dHwLz4neyaazER0xz_YQ26Rto1sm8pBa/view?usp=sharing）