Firefly

by Paolo Cherchi Usai

Fireflies have inspired poets, songwriters and scientists for centuries. Their brief, flickering light has stood for love, destiny, wealth and cosmic mystery, while also attracting Renaissance alchemists and modern researchers determined to understand bioluminescence. Long celebrated in Japanese folklore, the firefly is not without a dark witchcraft and black magic have represented it as a forlorn, mischievous or bloodthirsty spirit. Its real life is equally predatory behaviour both within and from outside the species and the growing threat of extinction challenge the insects that illuminate our summer nights. This book brings together biology, legend and art, accompanied by a remarkable portfolio of field photographs and international artworks. The result is a luminous portrait of a fragile creature with enduring power over the human imagination.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2026

About the author

Paolo Cherchi Usai is Senior Curator of the Motion Picture Department and director of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York, USA, and founder of the annual Pordenone Silent Film Festival.