LAHORE: The population of fireflies, which used to enchant Lahorites with their bio-luminescent display during humid summer evenings, has witnessed a dramatic decline in Lahore, like many other urban centres worldwide, over the past few decades, raising concerns about their local extinction.

These soft-bodied beetles from the Lampyridae family, glow to attract mates, creating a natural spectacle like stars on the ground.

While no formal warning about fireflies’ extinction has been issued so far for Lahore, specifically, scientific observations and broader South Asian trends point to a severe reduction—potentially over 70pc in similar regions—driven by human activity, Deputy Chief Wildlife Rangers Dr Ghulam Rasool told Dawn on Sunday.

Mr Rasool says that older Lahore residents often recall abundant fireflies in gardens, parks like Jallo Park, and along canals in the 1980s and 1990s. They were so abundant that children would collect them in glass jars as “living lanterns”, as described in cultural narratives from Karachi. On rural outskirts or semi-urban spots, evenings used to lit up with these tiny flickering lights of nature, he adds.

He notes that firefly sightings are now sporadic and confined to less urbanised fringes, such as suburban lawns or areas near water bodies like the river Ravi or canals. A 2024 Reddit thread highlighted a Lahore resident spotting fireflies in his yard after years of absence, but many locals report they have not seen these glowing insects at all in the central areas. Their number has also plummeted in Punjab’s rural areas, with some experts warn of a “gradual extinction” due to habitat loss.

Rasool is of the view that Pakistan’s firefly hot spots like, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Murree, are also losing their populations, with urbanisation cited as the primary culprit. A 2025 nationwide census in India revealed a 76pc drop in the firefly counts in one year, from over 25,000 to just 6,139 individuals, signaling a regional crisis.

Globally, the IUCN estimates 20pc of the assessed firefly species (about 30 out of 150) face extinction risks, with South Asian species particularly data-deficient but vulnerable.

Lahore’s rapid urbanisation — now a metropolis of over 13 million—has amplified the threats that disrupt fireflies’ entire lifecycle (from glowing larvae in moist soil to adults needing dark, vegetated mating grounds).For instance, fireflies thrive in humid, low-light environments, but Lahore’s concrete jungle and 24/7 illumination create a “death trap” for them.

No species is officially listed as extinct locally, but populations may have retreated to isolated pockets. The IUCN’s Firefly Specialist Group warns that without intervention, urban fireflies could vanish within a generation, as seen in parts of Europe and India. In Pakistan, experts like Dr Maqsood Shah from the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, terms fireflies an “environmental indicators”, saying their absence signals broader ecosystem collapse.

He suggests that the plan to establish a firefly breeding centre at Jallo Park, proposed years ago, could be revived. He says that butterfly houses in Lahore already promote insect conservation.”Firefly tourism” in regions like rural areas of Punjab and Kaghan valley can draw visitors and fund habitat protection, he suggests and call for expanding it to Lahore’s outskirts. Dr Shah says that fireflies have not left Lahore entirely, but their magic is dimming.

“By addressing the threats, we can ensure that our future generations witness the firefly dance again. If you’re in Lahore, head to a dark, green spot this monsoon season; you may still catch a glimpse,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2025