On the 26th of May 2012, Taylor’s University’s Biosciences Club had
planned an event focusing on the conservation of fireflies in the Kuala
Selangor region! Many of us were really excited to see some amazing fireflies! The event included a talk given by Ms. Veronica who is part of a team responsible to protect these insects!
The talk was given by Ms. Veronica regarding the
nature of fireflies, mainly the species Pteroptyx tener and the conservation
methods that are currently undergoing to salvage what is left of this species.
In her talk, she stated that the Selangor River Dam and the natives are the
causes of the diminishing numbers of fireflies. The destruction of their
habitat, which is the Sonneratia caseolaris plants and the killing of
Cyclotropis carinata, which are food for the firefly larva, are the causes of
the declining numbers. It was upsetting to many of us to know that there may not be any more fireflies in the future :'(
Upon reaching the venue, the participants were divided into groups of 4 people, since each
“sampan” could only hold 4 people at once. It was a quiet ride at first until the boatman started telling us stories about these insects! Expecting a magnificent view, we were quite sad
while looking at the abysmal numbers of fireflies that are left blinking in the
night...
As we couldn't take a good picture in the dark inside a moving boat, here is a picture from the web! PS: There were waaaaay fewer fireflies than this at that time!
The boat ride lasted for roughly 10 minutes and we then gathered at
the gate for our bus to arrive. The participants then boarded the bus and we
are on our way back to Taylor’s University.
For this trip, many of us learned and experienced things we could
never appreciate before. Most of us had never seen synchronous fireflies in
their natural habitat even after reading about them numerous times in books. We
constantly talk about species conservation but had never really felt that it is
of great importance until we have seen the declining numbers ourselves. After
this trip, most of us will strive to do a greater part to help the environment
and to keep the world as beautiful and as bright as these magnificent insects.
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