Fireflies bring a certain je ne sais quois to summer, but are they really flies? And how the hell do they light up like that?

We still have a lot to learn, but here are 11 fun facts about these fabulous little beetles.

They aren’t flies.

Despite their name, fire “flies” are actually beetles. They are members of the family Lampyridae in the order Coleoptera, which includes other winged beetles such as ladybugs, longhorned beetles, and weevils.

There are lots of different kinds.

There are over 150 species of fireflies in North America. Not all of them flash, but of the species that do flash, they fall predominantly into the genus Photinus, Pyractomena, or Photuris (more on Photuris and their devilish ways later).

They live fast and die young. 

Fireflies live only long enough to mate … typically 3 to 8 weeks.

They are masters of biochemistry.

Fireflies control the production of light through a chemical reaction that takes place in their light organ. When oxygen combines with calcium, ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and luciferin in the presence of an enzyme called luciferase, photons are released and light is produced.

They are energy efficient.

Using oxygen as fuel, special cells called photocytes use luciferase to produce a reaction that creates energy – nearly 100 percent of which is used to create light. How’s THAT for energy efficiency? The typical incandescent bulb produces only 10% of its energy as light, with the rest being discharged as heat. But if the light reaction in a firefly was this inefficient, it would cook itself to death.

They synchronize.

In only a few places in the world, including the Great Smoky Mountains, fireflies are known to synchronize their flashing. No one is fully certain why they do it, though it may relate to competition among males.

Their light leads to romance…most of the time. 

Fireflies control their flashing and use it to communicate with others. Each species has its own flash pattern, with males signaling their desire to mate and willing females flashing to let males know they are DTF. If he’s lucky, that is. Some females will mimic flash patterns of a different species to attract the males…only to devour them instead.

They taste like crap. Probably even worse than crap.

Fireflies are terribly unpalatable, which is primarily the result of defensive steroids known as lucibufagins. They advertise this important point with their flashing, and these compounds are effective at deterring spiders and birds. However, they are less convincing to toads and frogs, which pound them down anyway. After eating them, amphibians may even glow as the fireflies continue to flash while they’re being digested.

They’re mimics in the most horrifying of ways.

Fireflies in the genus Photuris cannot synthesize this steroid on their own, though members of the genus Photinus can. In turn, female Photuris have devised an ingenious strategy to obtain it. By mimicking the flash signals of females in the genus Photinus, these females attract and prey on male Photinus. In doing so, they are able to ingest and process the steroid, which subsequently affords them chemical protection from predators.

They don’t like to live in jars. 

Does anything want to live cooped up in a jar? Populations of fireflies are dwindling, so be sure to do your part by keeping them outdoors.

You can help scientists study them.

You can report your sightings of fireflies to the Boston Museum of Science in their citizen science program known as Firely Watch. There you can learn more about fireflies, why and how they flash, how to identify them, and how you can report your observations.