Why do fireflies glow after they are dead?

Question

There was a firefly on my shoulder and i swatted it and it was dead, but still giving out a pulsing green florecent glow. Like a heartbeat. - why?

Answer 1

they glow with chemical reactions in their bodies, normally when they are still alive they can counter this chemical reaction, but when dead it persists untill it disapates by itself.

Answer 2

Fireflies (which we call lightning bugs in the Chicago area) continued to glow after you swatted it because you caused the two chemicals normally held in different glands to to mix.  This is exactly what they cause to do when they are looking for a mate during the night time.  

Its identical to why a glow stick glows, which makes sense since glow sticks were reversed engineered from lighting bugs.  

Once the reaction finishes though then they will no longer glow.   If you have any more questions about this don't be afraid to ask.

Answer 3

Because they still have the pigment in them - it's not like the pigment died

Answer 4

Well if you gotta glow you gotta glow.