#A to Z Challenge – 7 April 2018 – G is for Glowworms – a Haibun

#atozchallenge – Nature & Outdoors Theme

Photo Credit

Glowworms were found on our farm in small pockets along the river banks, which was a treasure for my children, they would sneak along at night, so not to frighten them, as their lights would go out, is what they thought. Since then I have found out through research that it is the female which glows through bioluminescent, and maybe it wasn’t one of the followers in the group that were searching for the glow worms that made a noise so they never found them because it wasn’t the right time for mating. Haha.

In the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand, they are the larva of the Fungus Gnat, not a beetle. Both the larval stage and the image are luminescent.

Credit to Wikipedia – At the end of the larva stage it becomes a pupa, hanging down from the roof of the cave on a short, silken thread. The pupa stage lasts about 1 or 2 weeks and it glows intermittently. The male almost stops glowing a few days before emerging, whereas the female’s glow increases. The glow from the female is believed to be to attract a mate, and males may be waiting there when she emerges. Adult New Zealand Glowworms do not feed and live only a few days. Both males and females glow, but not as bright as larvae.

Glow worms may sometimes resemble actual worms, but all are insects, one species is a type of fly, but most glow worms are actually beetles.

So in different counties, they are not all beetles, but it still is the same the females glow for mating.

Glow-worms are sometimes called fire-fly or lightning bug.

fire-fly, lightning bug
beetle, fly or just a gnat
just call them glowworms