The logo, its written content, and watermarked photographs/imagery are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and is protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. It doesn't hurt to hum their song, too.©īeetle Identification Butterfly Identification Caterpillar Identification Spider ID Fungal Infections on Insects Nursery Web Spider Official State Insects Termite Basics Insect Molting Process Bugs of Tennessee House

Look for adult Glowworm Beetles day or night, but enjoy the illumination of their young worms after the sun has set.

Their harmony and lyrics are still easy on the ears. Glowworms were the subject a fun tune sung by the Mills Brothers in the early 1950's. Admiring Glowworms in their habitat and allowing them to finish the mating process allows for an annual summertime display. Her beacon of light is how she attracts a mate, bringing him to her since she is not as mobile.Ĭollecting Glowworms for captivity actually reduces their ability to successfully reproduce and maintain a population in a specific area. A female looks like a cross between her larval and adult form. Larvae and females, not males, are the ones that can glow. They do not have a hard wing covering (elytra) like other types of beetles. Glowworm Beetles have long antennae with wispy, feathery lashes. They are orange and black with large bulging eyes on the sides of the head. They are found in soil, leaf litter, grasslands, and even in caves, where they light up the roof like stars.Īdults look similar to lightning bugs, or fireflies.

This causes the internal parts of the prey to dissolve whereupon the Glowworm eats it. A toxic cocktail is injected into their prey as they bite it. They mostly eat other crawling things like millipedes, slugs, snails, and even other insects. Some species can emit a red light from their head. The larva is long and tubular like a worm, and it emits a yellow, orange, or green light from its body using bioluminescence, not heat. The larval form of the Glowworm Beetle is called a Glowworm.

Download glow worm bug