"No, these aren't deleted scenes from James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar - these spectacular images show mesmerising phosphorescent patterns swirling through a forest that are all produced by earthbound insects. Amateur photographer and full time physicist Kristian Cvecek spends nights in woodlands waiting for fireflies to come out so he can capture them on camera. German Kristian, 31, from Erlangan, near Nuremburg, photographs the creatures near his home. He uses slow shutter speeds to capture on camera their movements between the trees and ferns. Fireflies are winged beetles and give off a green luminous glow from chemicals in their lower abdomen in a process called bioluminescence. As babies - the larval stage of the insects' lives - they use their glow to warn off predators but as adults they use the same phenomenon to attract mates. He said: 'The fireflies are also called in some regions "'St. John bugs" because they start to fly at around the St. John's Night which is between the 23rd and 24th of June.' " - RAPatton

Fireflies are one of the most inspiring creatures around - RAPatton