Wait…what? For many years, scientists believed that lightningbug fireflies (the flashy kinds) only lived east of the Rocky Mountains. But now scattered populations of these flashers are popping up in western states, too.

Seth Bybee at Brigham Young University  discovered Pyractomena lightningbugs at several locales in Utah, mainly in wet places around seeps and springs.

Using citizen scientist reports, Dr. Bybee and the Natural History Museum of Utah compiled this map showing 100+ locations all over Utah where folks have spotted lightningbugs. Flashing fireflies also been reported from Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

So if you’re living or traveling out West, keep your eyes wide open for fireflies and send in your reports here!