Timing is critical when it comes to the mating of fireflies. The flash of the male, and the response of the female, is a precisely timed choreography. If the female hesitates by even a single second, she forfeits her chance to mate. But fireflies do more than just light up the night. Some local researchers use firefly light to understand and fight cancer.
Click the Listen icon to hear part 3 of Sarah Harris' series on how bug research can help humans.