Hi, I'm the person behind Alitaptap.org, a free citizen-science map of firefly sightings around the world.
"Alitaptap" is the Filipino word for firefly. The idea is simple: when you see fireflies, you pin them on the map, and over time we learn where they still glow and where they've gone quiet.
So far the map holds:
- 25,614 sightings logged
- 317 firefly species reported
- 15,718 locations around the world
- a field guide, a guided "which firefly is this?" tool, and stories, all in 9 languages
It's free to use, with no account needed, and the sighting data is open for anyone to download and study.
Fireflies are disappearing in many places because of light pollution, lost habitat and pesticides. Nobody can protect what nobody has counted, and that's what this map is for.
Running it costs real money and a lot of evenings: hosting, the database, the domain, and the time to check every community sighting before it goes on the map. A coffee from you keeps it free for everyone else.
Can't donate? That helps too:
🗺️ Log a sighting the next time you see fireflies: https://alitaptap.org
📣 Share the map with a teacher, a nature group or a friend
Thank you for helping keep the night a little brighter. 🌙