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2D Firefly Meadow: Synchronized Flashing

2D top-down simulation of a firefly meadow at dusk, where each firefly is a coupled oscillator that gradually locks its flash to its neighbors, just like real Photinus carolinus synchronous fireflies. Adjust coupling strength, frequency spread and interaction range and watch chaos turn into a synchronized pulse.

Nature & Climate2DEasy60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This is the flat, top-down companion to the 3D firefly meadow simulator. Rather than a flocking swarm with independent flicker, each firefly here carries its own internal oscillator with a slightly different natural frequency, and gently pulls its phase toward whichever nearby fireflies it can see flash — the coupled-oscillator (Kuramoto) model behind the real synchronous fireflies of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Turn up the coupling strength or narrow the frequency spread and watch the meadow's scattered, chaotic sparkle collapse into a single synchronized pulse of light.

⚙ Under the hood

A 2D top-down firefly meadow at dusk where each firefly is a Kuramoto coupled oscillator that nudges its flash phase toward nearby neighbors, with controls for coupling strength, frequency spread and interaction range and live readouts of sync level and flash rate.

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install