Alishan firefly population plummetsLIGHTS OUT: Photographers and locals have said that while it is still worth seeing the fireflies, dry conditions in central and southern Taiwan have affected their numbersBy Tsai Tsun-hsun and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerEnthusiasts are reporting a massive decline in Alishan’s firefly population this year, as the nation’s Tourism Bureau prepares to open parks for the firefly watching festivals. The low and medium-altitude regions of the Alishan Range — which runs from Miaoli County to Chiayi County — are home to 42 kinds of fireflies or about two-thirds of all firefly species in Taiwan, the Alishan National Scenic Area Administration said. “The firefly population is less than one-third of the size it was last year; the lack of rain has been catastrophic to the ecology of fireflies,” photographer Chuang Hsin-jan (莊信然) said. People who want to see the fireflies should go to the Alishan National Scenic Area (阿里山國家風景區), rather than the higher-altitude Alishan National Forest Recreational Area (阿里山國家森林遊樂區), he said. The bureau offers three tours that combine daytime activities in the area with nighttime firefly viewing, the office said.

Source: Taipei Times April 17, 2021 15:56 UTC