Pennsylvania Synchronous Firefly Season

Nature's Light Show

Enjoy a mesmerizing light show from Mother Nature! The Pennsylvania Synchronous Firefly Season lasts from the summer solstice into the second week of July, with annual mating displays of over fifteen different species of firefly in the Allegheny National Forest. The views of the Synchronous firefly and the unique "Chinese Lantern" firefly along the Tionesta Creek are mesmerizing. The P. Carolinus firefly is unique in that its flash patterns are in sync with each other, so they appear to be a string of Christmas lights hanging in the forest. Synchronous species of fireflies are rare, and can only be seen in a handful of places throughout the world. The P. Carolinus breed of Synchronous firefly was only recently discovered in the Allegheny National Forest in 2012 by a team of biologists.