Curled up centipede/millipede with red spots
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
August 10, 2010 9:56 pm
Hello! I found this bug the other day while on a walk. I put him on a leaf to take a picture, but unfortunately he curled up and wouldn’t uncurl for as long as I waited, so I just set him in the grass. I thought he was rather unusual looking with striking red spots on a black background, and those large segments. He was maybe two inches long or a bit less (it’s hard to measure when he’s curled up).
Vicki
Hi Vicki,
This is the larva of a beetle in the genus Phenogodes (see image on BugGuide), commonly called a Glowworm. Had you taken encountered it at night, you would have been treated to a nice display of bioluminescence. We are very excited to have your photos of the defensive position this Glowworm assumes when threatened.
I’m sad that I missed that bioluminescence. Keep up the good work!