Virginia

LIST: How many different species of firefly can be found in Virginia?

Published

2 years ago

July 19, 2024

LIST: How many different species of firefly can be found in Virginia?

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — There are nearly 180 documented species of firefly in the United States and Canada, and you can find almost 30 of them lighting up Virginia’s nights.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit with a focus on protecting invertebrates and their habitats, created a “Firefly Atlas” to document all things firefly.

This unique little beetle is reportedly a key member of food webs and can even be a great indicator of environmental health, according to the society.

The term “firefly” covers a few different kinds of insect — the flashing “lightningbug” many of us know, but also day-time dark fireflies who do not produce light and glow-worms.

According to the Xerces Society, the day-time fireflies use pheromones instead of light to communicate and the glow-worms’ females use light to attract males, which usually don’t light up, themselves.

Within the atlas, the Xerces Society lists all 176 species and subspecies of firefly within the U.S. and Canada. Of those 176 species and subspecies, 29 have been documented in Virginia.

Keep scrolling to learn a bit about each one.

Scientific Name	More Common Name(s)
Pyractomena dispersa	“Marsh flicker,” “wiggle dancer”
Photinus pyralis	“big dipper,” “common eastern firefly,” “J-stroke firefly”
Pyractomena angulata	“Say’s firefly,” “candle firefly,” “angled firefly”
Pyractomena borealis	“Spring treetop flasher,” “northern firefly”
Photinus consanguineus	“Double cousin”
Pyractomena marginalis	“Marginal firefly”
Lucidota atra	“Black firefly,” “woodland Lucy”
Photuris quadrifulgens	“Spring 4-flasher”
Photinus consimilis	“Cattail flash-train firefly”
Photuris lucicrescens	“July comets,” “big scaries,” “big-Lucy,” “great crescendo”
Photuris tremulans	“Christmas lights,” “confusing firefly”
Photinus corruscus	“Winter firefly”
Photinus ignitus	“Ignited firefly,” “delayed photinus firefly”
Lucidota punctata	“Dotted firefly,” “tiny Lucy”
Photuris versicolor	“Variable triple-flash firefly,” “multi-flash predator”
Pyractomena lucifera	“Marsh imp”
Photuris frontalis	“Snappy single sync firefly”
Photinus sabulosus	“Creekside tree blinkers”
Phausis reticulata	“Blue ghost,” “Appalachian glow-worm firefly”
Photuris darwini	“Darwin’s firefly”
Pyractomena similis	“Similar firefly”
Pyractomena palustris	“Marsh diver”
Pyropyga nigricans	“Black-bordered elf”
Photuris potomaca	“Potomac River firefly”
Photuris fairchildi	“Cape Breton firefly,” “Fairchild’s predator”
Pyropyga decipiens	“Sneaky elf”
Photinus scintillans	“Pale firefly,” “yellow-bellied firefly,” “pine barrens firefly”
Pollaclasis bifaria	“Branched Polly”
Photinus carolinus	“Synchronous firefly,” “Smokies synchronous firefly,” “light show”

Data: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation’s Firefly Atlas

The Firefly Atlas lists 22 of Virginia’s 29 species as flashing fireflies. Of the remaining seven, six are noted as day-time dark fireflies and there only one glow-worm type: the Phausis reticulata.

Only 33 of the total 176 species and subspecies of firefly are noted to have flightless female fireflies, with an additional five species marked as “sometimes,” “presumed yes” or “presumed no.”

Of Virginia’s 29 species of firefly, just one of them — the Photinus scintillans — is noted to have flightless female fireflies, though the Pyropyga nigricans is marked as “sometimes” having them. The Pyropyga nigricans are notably the only species in the Firefly Atlas marked as such.

If you’re interested in learning more about fireflies, or if you’d like to report a sighting of your own, you can do so on the Firefly Atlas’ website.

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Virginia

How to Watch Virginia vs. Duke Basketball Game Online Without Cable

Published

8 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch Virginia vs. Duke Basketball Game Online Without Cable

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This weekend’s college basketball slate kicks off with a blockbuster showdown between the No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers and the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils. They’ll be playing in Durham, where Duke has been undefeated for over a year. Virginia (25-3), however, has been on point all season and stands a chance at snapping the Blue Devils’ home court winning streak.

At a Glance: How to Watch Virginia vs. Duke Basketball Game

Stream: Sling
TV channel: ESPN
Date, time: Saturday, Feb. 28 at noon ET

The Cavaliers are coming off a big 90-61 win over NC State, and are looking to extend a nine-game winning streak. The Blue Devils are hot off a massive 100-56 victory against Notre Dame. Duke is seeking another shot at the title this year after falling to No. 1 Houston in last year’s Final Four.

If you don’t have a way to watch Saturday’s Virginia vs. Duke game, read on. Ahead is a quick guide on how to livestream Virginia vs. Duke with Sling, plus key details about the matchup.

How to Watch Virginia vs. Duke Basketball Game Online

Saturday’s Virginia vs. Duke matchup will air on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can watch the game online using any live TV streaming service that carries the channel. One of our favorites is Sling, which offers flexible packages and a great channel lineup.

ESPN is included in Sling’s Orange and Orange + Blue packages. The Orange plan carries 30+ channels, including CNN, TNT, HGTV, and ID, as well as ESPN. This plan is available as a monthly subscription, starting at $45.99 a month, but Sling also offers short-term passes that are ideal for catching individual games or tournaments. A one-day pass costs $4.99, a three-day pass costs $9.99, and a seven-day pass costs $14.99.

If you want more channels, upgrade to the Orange + Blue package. This plan starts at $60.99 a month and carries 50+ channels, including local networks (in select markets), Fox News, NFL Network, and everything in the Orange package.

Virginia vs. Duke Game Date, Start Time

The next Virginia vs. Duke basketball game takes place on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is at noon ET.

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Virginia

Patchwork 250: Share your community’s unique history for Virginia’s 250th anniversary

Published

20 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Patchwork 250: Share your community’s unique history for Virginia’s 250th anniversary

We’re highlighting the many threads that make Virginia so special

Virginia is filled with so much history just waiting to be explored. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re celebrating this milestone with a new series: Patchwork 250.

The series will highlight the many threads that make Virginia so special and celebrate every patch (whether that’s a remarkable person, an unforgettable location or a memorable event).

As this new initiative gets underway, we’d love to hear from you. Share your favorite pieces of history and be a part of Virginia’s ongoing story.

Using Pin It or the form below, let us know: what’s a unique piece of history from your community that you think more people should know about?

Click here for more details.

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Virginia

Fatal motorcycle-pickup collision shuts northbound S. Virginia Street Thursday evening

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Fatal motorcycle-pickup collision shuts northbound S. Virginia Street Thursday evening

A fatal collision between a motorcycle and a pickup truck on Thursday evening has claimed a life and prompted a significant road closure in South Reno.

The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to reports of the crash at approximately 5:29 p.m. on February 26. The incident occurred on northbound South Virginia Street, just north of Damonte Ranch Parkway.

According to the Nevada State Police, the rider of the motorcycle, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The driver of the pickup truck remained on-site, though no further details regarding other injuries or the cause of the crash have been released. Northbound South Virginia Street: Completely shut down from Damonte Ranch Parkway to Bishop Manogue Drive.

Southbound South Virginia Street: Open, but expect “rubbernecking” delays as drivers pass the emergency vehicles. Officials expect the northbound lanes to remain closed until at least 11:30 p.m. as the NHP Highway Patrol Division completes their investigation.

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