Luciola parvula was still flying and lighting in the higher forest at the foot of a mountain. Some meteor also flew and emitted the light among the band of stars in the dense Milky Way that rose on the forest. It may just be my imagination, but they seem like in a hurry. Time limit is approaching to pass on life to the next generation. It will be the last day to watch Luciola parvula in this year. Someday I will watch the beautiful blinking lights emitted by their following generation.

A grass field was filled with thousands of light flowers which bloom at midnight. I could not hear any sounds from the field but it must be hustle and bustle for Luciola parvula. The scene burned in my eyes during an hour. We may possibly be able to see the scene last time. The habitat will affected by artificial lighting, because a new house is being built nearby the habitat. You all! Survive!

Sunny yellow light flashes to look for a partner in a forest far from town. The light flashes very strong although body length is only a few millimeters. Flashing at close to midnight must be way to live without being discovered. Male flies several dozen centimeters high from the ground but female can not fly. So that means they can not move their habitat with distance. The scene have been repeated several hundred years at same habitat. It could see many times in the past but they are absent recently. Their silent habitat is being lost by raze a forest and human being step into a forest. I am also one of human being step into habitat with camera. During last a few days, they emit luminescence without any eating by squeeze the remaining life to pass on life to the next generation. I feel drawn to such a beautiful and fugacious creature doing in a deep forest at midnight in early summer.      K.Ohtawara  Bistream

Time-lapse movie:
  http://vimeo.com/user29129461/lastdance
  http://youtu.be/v_57MdxeaEU

Setoden train was running in outer moat of Nagoya Castle about 40 years ago. Shigenobu Takeuchi was station staff of Setoden. Mr. Takeuchi found several tens of thousands of luminescence from Luciola parvula in the outer moat after the last train going. However, Luciola parvula were reduced drastically in next year because many people who read in the newspaper came to the moat and captured. In addition, railway was removed from the outer moat. It was large influence of environmental changes. He acted to save for their life during remaining his life against lung tuberculosis. He explained importance of the Luciola parvula to the people who come to the outer moat. The act and his fervent sprit were well known to the people. One day, public highway corporation developed a new lighting apparatus for highway of beside the outer moat which does not have leakage the light to outside from road in order to have no impact on Luciola parvula. The conservation work of Luciola parvula has continued in "The People who assume Luciola parvula in Nagoya Castle Soto-bori (outer moat)* " after he is gone. Mr. Takeuchi is the father of Luciola parvula in Nagoya Castle. 

  *) http://sotobori.sp.land.to/        名古屋城外堀ヒメボタルを受け継ぐ者たち