9 July 2019 (Tuesday) – Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) organised ‘A Date with Fireflies of FRIM’ on 6 July to celebrate World Firefly Day (WffD), which falls on the first weekend of July every year.

The celebration themed, ‘Fireflies need dark nights’, aimed to create awareness on the importance of reducing light pollution to ensure the fireflies continue to thrive in their natural habitat.

The participants and the organisers posing for a group photograph.	Nada (centre) briefing the participants before visiting FRIM nature trail.

The programme, organised by FRIM Entomology Branch, was attended by 26 participants. FRIM also set up a mini exhibition on fireflies and Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS).

The programme began with a talk on the introduction on fireflies and the threats they faced by FRIM researchers, Veronica Khoo and Dr Nada Badruddin.

Participants taking a closer look at a firefly.

The participants were brought for a guided walk along FRIM nature trail for firefly observation in the forest. They encountered several firefly species, namely Drilaster sp., Pygoluciola dunguna and Lamprigera sp.