A system and method are provided for mimicking a bioluminescent signal from an animal or an insect, such as a firefly. A first version includes a controller, an electrical energy battery, a solar energy collector and a light emitting device. The solar energy collector receives sunlight and converts the sunlight to electrical energy that is stored in the battery. The electrical energy battery provides electrical energy to the light emitting device under management by the controller, and may comprise two or more battery cells or circuits. A time sequence for energizing the light emitting device may be applied to cause the light emitting device to mimic a bioluminescent lighting pattern generally exhibited by a selected species of insect or animal. A light emitting diode may be used with a voltage source and a voltmeter to detect the approximate intensity of light of an ambient environment surrounding the device.