Every year in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala — about 2 hours out of Mexico City — hundreds of thousands of fireflies begin their mating dance in the pine forests. The fireflies (which are actually beetles) are endemic to these forests, and found nowhere else on earth. They live as larva for 20 months before emerging for around one month, from late June to early August. The light show is so consistent you can set your watch by it — the best viewing times are from about 8:30 to 9:30.
These pine tree forests have a special climate which make a perfect home for the fireflies, scientifically known as Macrolampis palaciosi. The forests are at 3000m above sea level and it rains a lot, making the environment very humid and always wet.
