Climate change is killing fireflies – threatening a US summer ritual

Scientists say lightning bugs are having a revival this year - but they're concerned about the insects' long-term viability

Max Vogel, a 29-year-old public defense attorney, was picnicking with friends in early August at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, when he noticed flashes of light appear in the air around him.

They were fireflies, bioluminescent insects that the Washington DC native had not seen while living in Oregon, where there are few, if any. For many Americans who live where fireflies do, their flashing lights at dusk are a tangible rite of summer - though one that may now be under threat.