Subject: Iridovirus?
Location: Venezuela
April 26, 2013 9:02 pm
Hi, I had never seen a lighted grub, so I searched on the web and found something about iridoviruses? Is this the case? Or it is a firefly grub? This pic was taken in south america (Venezuela).
Signature: Javier P.

Bioluminescence

Dear Javier,
We are not familiar enough with the bioluminescence patterns of South American creatures to determine the identity of the creature you saw.  Larvae and adults of many Glowworms and Fireflies have bioluminescence.  You can begin by searching for information on the Bioluminescent Beetles website.  The only references in our archive on Iridovirus pertain to Sow Bugs turning a blue color, and there is nothing about them glowing.

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Subject: what is this bug called
Location: Brooksville, florida
January 13, 2013 8:48 pm
Please help my daughter and i identify this cool, crazy looking, flying bug. Thanks
Signature: rylee

Male Glowworm Beetle

Hi rylee,
This is an adult male Glowworm Beetle, probably in the genus Phengodes.  It looks very similar to this individual that was posted to BugGuide.  Larval Glowworms are sometimes called Railroad Worms and they are capable of bioluminescence.

Thank you so very much

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Subject: trilobyte bug?
Location: Huntersville NC
October 25, 2012 11:22 am
found this outside Charlotte NC
six legs
scaly body like a lobster
pushes itself along with its tail while it walks
tiny head extends out of the front but retracts when spooked like a snail’s eye
Signature: Leather Mystics

Firefly Larva

Hi Leather Mystics,
This is a beetle larva, and we have narrowed it to two possibilities, the likelier being a Firefly Larva and the other option being a Netwing Beetle Larva.  Firefly Larvae feed on snails while Netwing Beetle Larvae feed on fungus, and ofter the only reliable way of distinguishing between the two is the diet.

Yup, looks like the firefly larva – which is weird because we haven’t seen any fireflies around this area….
THANKS SO MUCH, DANIEL!!

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Subject: Very smelly beetle!
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
September 24, 2012 12:28 pm
Hello. I came home from a long day and found this little bug hanging out on my blinds. I’m sure there was nothing of use to him in my house so I picked him up to put him outside and he let out quite the stink! I couldn’t tell where it came from because there was no liquid or anything, but it was quite strong; like the smell when you pick up a lady-bug. He had a very nice pink around his head. Dark brownblack body, maybe the whole body was 1” long. Had a habit of ending up on his back (you can see it in the last picture). I flipped him over and set him outside after these pictures. Any help in identifying him would be appreciated! Thanks!
Signature: A girl that still smells of beetle

Diurnal Firefly

Dear girl that still smells of beetle,
This appears to be a Diurnal Firefly in the genus Ellychnia, based on photos posted to BugGuide.  There is even a ventral view that looks exactly like your image which shows this genus lacks the light producing organ at the tip of the abdomen.

Diurnal Firefly

Thank you for the quick. I’ve never seen a firefly before so I am delighted and also surprised that I finally know what one looks like; the image I had in my mind of what one looked like was quite different. Thanks again!

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Subject: caterpillar ?
Location: Northeast Georgia
September 17, 2012 8:11 am
Found this in my cat’s water bowl last night (September 16, 2012). Thought it was beautiful and just trying to identify it.
Signature: J. Childs

Railroad Worm

Dear J. Childs,
Your letter did not indicate if the creature was still alive or if it had drowned.  If the former, and if it is still in your possession, you might want to treat yourself to a little light show.  This is a Railroad Worm or Glowworm.  It will glow in the dark, producing a greenish bioluminescence that is quite impressive.

It was still alive and I wanted it to stay that way, so I let it go last night!  RATS!  Wish I could find it again to see it glow!  What type plants might I find this on?  I have some mints of different kinds near the area where it was found.  Would that be a possibility?
J

Glowworms are predators so you will not necessarily find them on specific plants.  The example from our archive was feeding on a millipede.  This University of Florida IFAS webpage also indicates they feed on Millipedes and it has much information on Glowworm biology.

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Monday August 27, 2012
Hi Daniel,
Ran across this article about a perceived decline in firefly populations, and thought you might be interested.
Farther down in the story is a link to a guy in Texas who has a website devoted to all things firefly that you might find useful.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120827/NEWS01/308270027/-1/7daysarchives/Fireflies-future-dim-bright-Project-looks-track-insects
Julian P. Donahue

Firefly from our archive

Thanks Julian,
We will post this troubling information for our readers.  We certainly noticed fewer Fireflies in Ohio in June.

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Subject: whats this?
Location: middle georgia
July 31, 2012 12:38 pm
Hi, I recently found this bug in my home. I live in middle Georgia and found this bug last month (June 2012). At first I thought it was a spider because it looked as though it was slowly dropping from the ceiling like a spider. Then it started flying almost like it was trying to attack us. Usually we’re catch and release any animals but this one was relentless. It attacked the ruler we tried to use to scoop it up with…left small holes in it. I’ve looked everywhere trying to find out what it is so any information would be great. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen so far. Thanks again.
Have a great day
Tj Alligood
Signature: Tj Alligood

Glowworm

Hi Tj,
This fascinating creature is an adult male Glowworm Beetle.  The larval Glowworms, sometimes called Railroad Worms, are amazing creatures that are capable of bioluminescence.  Females are wingless and resemble the larvae.

Mystery solved…Thank you so much! Your site is great! Have a great day!
Tj

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