Courting fireflies are one of the joys of summer. Light pollution is killing their vibe.

Fireflies are the romantics of the insect world. In the summer months, they emerge from the ground with love on the brain. They only live for two to three weeks once they've become full adults and in that time they don't even eat. They're too busy flirting.

Fireflies — or lightning bugs, depending on where you grew up — are one of the only insects with elaborate courtship dialogues, said Avalon Owens, a research fellow at Harvard.

Male fireflies fly around and a part of their abdomen called a lantern will "light up in a little advertisement, like a billboard," per Owens. Then females sitting on the ground look up at the display and flash back to the males they decide they like.