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

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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.

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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.”

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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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Man shot, killed by Virginia trooper ID’d after crash ends in deadly stabbing attack

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Man shot, killed by Virginia trooper ID’d after crash ends in deadly stabbing attack


Virginia State Police have identified the man who was shot and killed by a trooper after a crash ended in a stabbing attack on Interstate 495 Sunday afternoon.

Jared Llamado, 32, of McLean, died at the hospital on Sunday after he was shot.

RELATED | 2 dead, dog killed after stabbing spree, trooper shooting on I-495 in Fairfax County

Investigators said Llamado was confronted by the trooper who opened fire around 1:17 p.m. The trooper was responding to a report of a road rage incident and found Llamado with a knife, according to a news release.

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Four stabbing victims, all women, were also found at the scene, along with a dog that was also stabbed.

Michelle Adams, 39, died from her injuries. The dog also did not survive. The three other women were all taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to VSP. 7News is not identifying the surviving victims.

Investigators said the stabbings stemmed from a crash in the southbound lanes of I-495.

The trooper who opened fire was not hurt and is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the use of force.

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Investigators said they do not believe the attack is connected to terrorism.



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Two dead after I-495 road rage incident leads to stabbing, Virginia State Police shooting – WTOP News

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Two dead after I-495 road rage incident leads to stabbing, Virginia State Police shooting – WTOP News


A road rage incident led to a shooting involving the Virginia State Police on Sunday on Interstate 495. Four individuals were also stabbed.

Two people are dead Sunday in Annandale, Virginia, after a road rage incident led to a shooting involving Virginia State Police on Interstate 495.

A release issued by the Virginia State Police said a trooper fatally shot a man after responding to a report of a road rage incident on the southbound lanes of I-495 just before 1:30 p.m. at exit 52, near the Little River Turnpike.

The man, transferred to a hospital with serious injuries, has been pronounced dead. VSP said the trooper shot in self-defense after the man confronted him with a knife.

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The trooper did not suffer any injuries during the altercation.

Officials found four stabbing victims at the scene, but only identified a 39-year-old woman and a dog. Both the woman and the dog died.

Early findings suggest the stabbings took place after a crash on the Capital Beltway. The crash remains under investigation.

The VSP’s release comes after the main lanes of the Capital Beltway Outer Loop, before Little River Turnpike, were closed to traffic for several hours, only recently opening the express lanes. Main lanes between Arlington Boulevard and the Little River Turnpike remain closed.

Stay with WTOP for the latest developments.

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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.



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Virginia Huffman Obituary February 27, 2026 – Ott & Lee Funeral Homes

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Virginia Huffman Obituary February 27, 2026 – Ott & Lee Funeral Homes


Mary “Virginia” Huffman, 82, of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, passed away on February 27, 2026.

Born on February 28, 1943, in Morton, Mississippi, she was the daughter of Carl and Nannie Mae Bradshaw. She married the love of her life, Jimmy Lavell Huffman, on June 14, 1963, and together they built a life rooted in faith, family, and hard work. Virginia devoted nearly 50 years to teaching high school math, beginning at Morton High School and later serving at East Rankin Academy. Generations of students were shaped by her steady guidance, high expectations, and deep belief in their potential. Many would say they entered college prepared because they had learned from “Mrs. Huffman.” Her students knew the famous “Mrs. Huffman look,” but no one understood it quite like her children and grandchildren. To many, she was more than a teacher—she was a mentor, encourager, and second mother.

A faithful member of Cross Roads Baptist Church, Virginia was a true matriarch and prayer warrior whose life was anchored in her love for the Lord. She woke each morning to study the Word of God and carried that faith into every conversation, classroom, and season of life. She played piano and organ, sang in the choir, and on Sunday mornings could often be found at home practicing the piano before church—something her family dearly loved listening to. She served her church and community with quiet devotion. Whether tutoring students during the summer, helping families in need, or visiting church members, she consistently lived out a servant’s heart.

She loved farm life—raising chickens and cows, cutting hay, tending her flower beds, and cooking for the people she loved. She was especially known for her strawberry pies, egg custard, and caramel cake (see Cheryl Moore for the recipe). She faithfully attended her grandchildren’s sporting events and found her greatest joy in cheering on her family. She loved deeply and wholeheartedly, treating not only her own children and grandchildren as treasures, but embracing many others in her community as if they were her own.

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She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Lavell Huffman; her children, Connie Goodman (Mike), Karen Jones, and Jade Huffman; her grandchildren, Christin (Colby) (Candace), Christopher (Victoria), Dillon, Marley, Halle (Elijah), Kyla Kate, and Eli; her great-grandchildren, Autumn, Titus, Sophia, Liam, Scarlett, Luke, and Ava; and her siblings, Paul (Joyce) and Delilah.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Nannie Mae Bradshaw; her in-laws, Clyde Sr. and Zora Huffman; her son, Scot Huffman; and her sisters, May Erving and Maxine Strong.

Virginia will be remembered as a woman of unwavering faith, steadfast strength, and extraordinary love. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the students she prepared, and the countless lives she covered in prayer.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – until on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Cross Roads Baptist Church in Pelahatchie and again on Monday, March 2, 2026 from 12 pm – 1 pm.  

Services will be held at 1pm Monday, March 2, 2026 at Cross Roads Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.  

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Bro. John Vaughn, Bro. Gary Morris and Bro. Steven Platt will officate the services.

Pallbearers will be Tim Wolverton, Colby Boyd, Christopher Wilson, Dillon Pettigrew, Eli Huffman and Elijah Moore.

Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Morton is honored to serve the Huffman family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cross Roads Baptist Church Building Fund.

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