A twist on fire and water

Soon after sunrise the morning of July 12, I checked on my garden. I found that dew had formed on most of the plants. Knowing that insects sometimes hesitate to fly when dew is on caused me to go slow and look for something a bit unusual.

I found this firefly hanging onto a cucumber leaf with a dewdrop on the point of the leaf. Not often have I seen the underside of a firefly, and I don't recall ever seeing one this close to a drop of water.

This insect is a rover firefly. It is also called the common eastern firefly, and many people call it a lightning bug. At twilight during summer lightning bugs can be seen flashing their lights. A fresh mown hayfield or open area away from trees is a good place to look for rover fireflies.