Fireflies nearing extinction due to pesticide exposure, artificial light pollution Artificial light, habitat loss, and pesticides pose a grave threat to firefly species. AFP/STR/Files Fireflies are in deep trouble, with many species facing extinction due to habitat loss and exposure to pesticides, according to the first major review of their global status, published Monday. Adding irony to injury, one of Nature's most entrancing spectacles is also being snuffed out by artificial light pollution, researchers reported in the journal BioScience. More than 2,000 species of fireflies — which are, in fact, beetles — illuminate wetlands, marshes, grasslands, forests and urban parks worldwide. https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1071158238311297024?referrer=alidervash101