Synchronization dynamics of firefly-LED systems

Firefly communication in mating swarms results in synchronized flash behavior for two North American species, Photinus carolinus and Photuris frontalis. This collective behavior produces characteristic flash patterns with continuous or intermittent structure, depending on the species. Understanding the interaction dynamics between small groups of individuals that yields this swarm-level emergent behavior may be important in designing systems of autonomous agents that communicate using low-cost light signals. Using controlled density experiments where small groups of fireflies are exposed to rhythmic, controlled LED flashes in dark tents, we examine the range of artificial flash frequencies that produce aligned phase responses from the fireflies. In both species, we unveil a specific and narrow range of flash frequencies to which individual and small groups of fireflies can successfully entrain. Finally, we demonstrate a minimal set of group conditions sufficient for synchrony at small densities. In both species, the characteristic synchronization patterns can be rapidly induced in individual fireflies by exposing them to artificial light patterns simulating a group of four individuals.