81
FABULOUS FIREFLIES
Fireflies are not actually
flies, but a type of flying beetle.
They have a special organ in their
abdomen—the lower-rear part
of their body—where chemicals
are mixed together, including
one that reacts with oxygen to
produce light. By switching the
supply of oxygen on and off,
the firefly is able to control the
speed and brightness of the flash.AbdomenUS_080-081_Glow_in_the_dark.indd 81 12/09/2018 15:50