Neon nights: fireflies

Photographer Kei Nomiyama captured dreamy long exposure shots of fireflies in the mountains of Shikoku Island, the smallest of Japan's four main islands.

8 PHOTOS

1. Firefly season in Japan runs from late May to mid-July.

2. Synchronous firefly phenomenon occurs when some species light up their abdomen to attract a mate.

3. There are more than 40 kinds of fireflies in Japan.

4. Firefly season is during the rainy season in Japan, which coincides with the blooming of hydrangea flowers.

5. A female firefly climbs a dandelion and attracts males to mate.

6. "That night the fireflies in the bamboo forest were at their peak and created this carpet of light."

7. The Japanese name for this plant is hotaru bukuro, which means bell firefly, and comes from the fact that children played with fireflies around this bell.

8. Some of Nomiyama's photographs were exposed for more than 20 minutes to create streams of light.