Glowworm

colorful larva with red spots
Location:  southern part of North Carolina
September 24, 2010 7:32 am
This approximately 2-inch-long larva was found crawling in the bathroom of a home in the southern part of North Carolina on September 23rd. Thank you for helping us identify it!
Signature:  impressed by biodiversity

Glowworm

Dear Impressed,
You may have been even more impressed had you turned off the lights and watched this Glowworm do what it is best known for, glowing in the dark.

Thank you!  It does glow!  The glow is very faint, but it is there!  Amazing!!

Glowworm Update:  Glowing and Food Chain
September 27, 2010
Dear Daniel,
My sister recently sent in a photo of a larva that my daughter found in the bathroom:
Well, we immediately checked to see if it was glowing and it was – very faintly. We then learned that she (yes, it’s a girl glow worm!) should like millipedes and we wondered if she would glow more if she regained her strength.  My husband graciously found a small millipede for her for a bedtime snack.  She loved it! It was nothing but a pile of shell/rings in the morning.  Next we found a BIG millipede.  Within an hour the millipede was immobilized and over the past two days the glow worm has been tunneling inside the millipede eating everything but the shell.  It is quite gruesome – but fascinating! Anyway, we noticed last night that she seemed to be glowing more – while her head was in the millipede!  We pulled her out, but by the time we figured out camera settings, her glow faded.  Now, I am happy to announce, that I successfully captured a bit more of her glow this afternoon!  Attached are two photos: one of her eating and the other of her glowing.
Thank you for your help.
Awed by God’s creation,
Sherry Lorei

Glowworm eats Millipede

Dear Sherry,
Thank you ever so much for taking the time to send these awesome photos.  Though we have other images in our archives of Glowworms glowing, this is the first Food Chain image we have of the remarkable feeding habits of this amazing creature.

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