Bug FAQBlue Ghost
Phausis reticulata · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Lampyridae
Also called: Appalachian Glow-worm Firefly, Blue Ghost Firefly
Male blue ghosts are small brown fireflies about 6 to 9 mm long, while wingless females are yellow, paedomorphic and 4 to 9 mm long. They glow continuously to males emit a steady blue-white light that looks green up close to and are found in dry and moist woods, near water, and on high ridges across the eastern and central United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have a short second antennal segment compared with the third and possess large eyes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults live in dry and moist woods, near water, and on high, dry ridges. Mating occurs in warm, moist forest areas with spongy leaf litter.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae are extremely tiny (1 to 2 mm) and produce their own bioluminescence.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
After laying 20 to 30 eggs, a female guards them for one to two weeks before dying. Eggs hatch about four to five weeks after the mother’s death. The newly hatched larvae are 1 to 2 mm long and glow.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Males display a steady glow rather than a flashing pattern typical of many fireflies.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The blue ghost is native to the eastern and central United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Unlike most eastern fireflies that flash, blue ghost males glow continuously. Males can control each light segment independently and vary glow intensity.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell a male blue ghost from other fireflies?
Male blue ghosts glow continuously with a steady blue-white light, while most other fireflies flash; they also have a short second antennal segment and large eyes.
Source: Wikipedia
What size are blue ghost fireflies?
Males are about 6 to 9 mm long and females are wingless, yellow, and 4 to 9 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are blue ghost fireflies found?
They occur in the eastern and central United States, especially in the southern Appalachian and piedmont regions of several southeastern states.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lampyridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phausis_reticulata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.