Phausis reticulata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Phausis reticulata, commonly referred to as the blue ghost is a species of firefly found in the eastern and central United States. The species is common in the southern Appalachians, and can be seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as North Carolina's DuPont State Forest, the Pisgah National Forest, and the Green River Gamelands in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania Counties.
P. reticulata is a tiny to medium-sized beetle. The males of this all-brown species are about 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long, have a short second antennomere (compared to the third) as well as large eyes. Unlike many firefly species found in the eastern and central United States, P. reticulata males display a steady glow, instead of a species-specific flashing pattern. The light emitted by "blue ghost" fireflies appears to the human eye as blueish-white when observed at night from a distance, but bright green when examined at close range. This discrepancy in the observed color may be due to the Purkinje effect. Males are capable of controlling each light segment independently and can vary the intensity of their glow.
Female blue ghosts are wingless... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Ghost sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 441st most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Ghost in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue Ghost sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in our data
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Blue Ghost sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Lampyridae
The closest relatives of the Blue Ghost that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Lampyridae, Fireflies) are Winter Firefly (about 10%), Common Eastern Firefly (about 10%) and Black Firefly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue Ghost is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
