Millions of synchronous fireflies light up the dark forests of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve while a sky full of stars shine overhead.

I study fireflies for the IUCN Fireflies Specialist Group. In December 2023, while on a field trip observing firefly larvae, we noticed odd, bluish firefly glows, floating in moist air and moving swiftly. These are fireflies of the genus Lamprigera, a first time find in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve and a genus very little described. Male fireflies fly low to the ground, looking for females in the foliage. Females are in larval form even as adults. Their flashes appear bluish from a distance and lime green from up close. This is likely due to the 'Purkinje effect', our eyes are more sensitive to blue light at night.