When Was the Last Time You Saw a Firefly?
The last time I saw a firefly was a decade ago. Even longer. I was in my second year of high school. It was 2015. I saw it in Sesaot Forest, West Lombok.
At that time, in my village, fireflies were almost only a name. I had never found a single firefly while living there. The glowing insect only existed in the stories of the elders. Sometimes, when the electricity went out, they would repeat those stories and joke, “Back then, we put fireflies in glass jars, and they would become a source of light.”
We were little kids, staring at them in awe.
Our little minds wandered and came up with questions. What kind of insect could produce light? How could an insect produce light? And so on and so on.
In the journal Analisis Sifat Biologi, Kimiawi dan Fisika tentang Kunang-kunang (Lampyridae) by Damawati et al., firefly light comes from a special organ located at the lower end of its abdomen. The light is produced through a chemical reaction involving luciferin and the enzyme luciferase. Firefly light itself usually appears yellowish-green, bluish-green, or reddish-orange, depending on the species.
The fireflies I saw in Sesaot were golden yellow. Similar to the color of a city park lamp. I remember clearly that I saw the light of this amazing animal during a school activity. The location was Hutan Sesaot.
In some parts, the trees in this forest still have fairly dense canopies. The river still runs strong, even during the dry season. Large rocks fill the stream. The water is cold. The kind of cold that makes people willing to take off their sandals, get into the river, and sit between the rocks for a long time. Or soak themselves in the river to cool their bodies under the hot afternoon sun.
However, I saw those fireflies at night.
After Isya prayer, I was assigned to find some extra drinking water. The teacher who accompanied me that night used to be a member of Mapala at his university. So he was already very familiar with the area. I tried to get rid of my fear.
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As you would expect from a forest at night, it was pitch dark. The sounds of animals also sounded like some kind of ghost-calling song. The teacher directed me to a water source he trusted. I had to wade into the water until it reached my knees to reach it.
I filled three or four bottles with water. After that, I wanted to return to the tent immediately. On the way back, I saw two small lights moving.
A strange light.
They moved slowly — up and down.
I was walking in front and was slightly startled. The teacher was probably also surprised by my sudden movement. As if he knew what was happening, he said,
“Relax, those are fireflies.”
And that was the last time I saw a firefly.
Eleven years ago.
PS: This piece was inspired by an essay in Hikayat Mitobotani by Asief Abdi, titled “Lepidopetra Pulau Dewata.”
PS2: Yes, the context is, if you want to read more about it, fireflies are probably one of the simplest signs to tell us whether an environment is still healthy or not.
PS3: In the bigger context, Edward Wilson said in the same book that the Earth can live without humans, but the Earth cannot continue without insects.
PS4: Too many Post Notes.
