(AP) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that a petition to add a firefly unique to Delaware to the Endangered Species list merits further examination.
The service announced Wednesday that the petition to list the Bethany Beach firefly presented substantial information on potential threats associated with light pollution, invasive species, pesticide use and the effects of climate change.
The Bethany Beach firefly is associated with unique freshwater wetlands that develop behind dunes along Delaware's Atlantic Ocean beaches.
Environmentalists are hoping that it becomes the first species of firefly to be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
