Cymrian fireflies

Myriads of them dancing in trees and celebrating the apex of summer light as we do so. Can you hate the fire for feeding on the wooden kind and kindle warming flames? The fireflies are no different.

— Meryw, Cymrian

Description

Cymrian fireflies are given a similar respect in the region of Cymru as the Summer Lark, despite their potentially dangerous trait. They appear as small, at most 8 mm bugs with a whitish end and yellowish wings. Their black frustules are shiny with veiny grooves along the length. At night, the end glows with warm colors ranging from yellow to deep red.

Habitat

They appear to favor the close vicinity of forest streams and slightly flooded forests but necessarily with a flowing water and a sandy bottom. If anything, these insects do not take rot and decay well, which makes the sight of the fireflies nearby a good indicator of high purity of the water.

Symbiosis

Sheep

Lovely creatures by Richard Tao

Cymrian fireflies and sheep have formed a mutual interaction during the course of land populating. By secreting pigments into the wool's greas, the sheep are much less prone to external parasites such as fleas or ticks. More than that, during the early spring and throughout the summer time, the herd is protected from night predators as well. The fireflies on the other hand maintain cozy conditions and store fat to live through the autumn and winter. The firefly-lighted sleeping herd is considered one of the most beautiful sights in Cymru.

Marmots

While sheep make for a good friends through summer and autumn, it is marmots they sleep over the winter period. The lower temperatures of mountain caves and burrows decrease the need to nourish their small bodies. What is interesting however is that even then, the fireflies do not cease to glow, and occasionally synchronise to make their light pulsing in unison or in varying pattern, like waves or wiggling stripes. The hibernating marmots are very rarely found as they are in general shy and wary. Even so, people who saw them in the caves spoken of cuddly furry creatures, glowing in the dark as if their fur was the light itself.

Cuddly mountain marmots by PxHere (edited by Angantyr)

Potential hazards

The ginger fleece

While the Cymrian fireflies are not dangerous, the same cannot be said of their effect on wool. The fleece undergoes a change in color, becoming ginger in white sheep to dark ginger-brown in dark ones. All color modifications are due to secretion of pigment along with greas, on which the fireflies feed. The substance is harmless to touch, but becomes life threatening when in contact with sweat. It then readily dissolves forming a firm contact with the skin and causing severe irritation and burns. In some cases, especially with children, this usually ends with the wool being torn off, together with the skin.

The forest scalp

Occasionally people, especially those seldomly visiting Cymru around summer, commit foolish acts of sleeping near the forest river banks or on forest meadows. This of course ends up with fireflies being lured by the scent of human grease and sweat, and leads to a similar result as touching the ginger fleece, but happening directly on the scalp. Typically even before the night ends, the sleepyhead wakes up and runs through the forest screaming and ripping their hair out, until the pain is gone. As the hair comes of with the skin, the condition was nicknamed the forest scalp.

Countermeasures

Ginger fleece was known in Cymru as far as anyone can remember, so it comes to no surprise that people have found a way to cope with the problem. The most common countermeasure is used in the cleansing ritual before the Summer Solstice festival. Ashen soap is used to clean the body thoroughly to get rid of the grease, with special care for more hairy parts. Then one rinses the cleaned place with diluted flower or berry vinegar to neutralise the alkaline soap. The type of vinegar does not matter from the process standpoint, but more fragrant and colourful ones are usually used aroung the Summer Solstice festival.

Fun fact

Their breeding grounds (especially forest meadows) typically coincide with the Summer Soltice festival is held.

Length: up to 8 mm
Width: up to 4 mm
Can fly: hell yeah

Symbiotic relations: sheep, marmots
Potentially harmful: yes