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Glowworm Info Sheet GLOWWORM INFO The females die quickly after laying their eggs, GLOWWORM NESTS ARE LIKE HAMMOCKS Maori name: titiwai usually less than a day, while males can live up Glowworms base themselves in individual nests to five days. English name: NZ glowworm attached to the roof of the cave, or vegetation. Scientific name: Arachnocampa luminosa The nests hang like a hammock and are made of silk which can be repaired and reconstructed. NZ glow-worms are the larvae (maggots) of a ONLY EAT DURING THEIR LARVAL STAGE special kind of fly known as a fungus gnat. Glowworms have a pretty crazy life, during their LIGHT DISPLAY Fungus gnats look rather like mosquitoes, and larval stage is the only time they eat. This stage most feed on mushrooms and other fungi. of their lifecycle lasts approximately nine The glow-worm’s tail-light shines from an organ However, a small group of fungus gnats are months. which is the equivalent of a human kidney. All carnivores, and the worm-like larvae of these insects have this organ but the glow-worm has a unique ability to produce a blue-green light species use their glowing lights to attract small THE HUNGRIER - THE BRIGHTER IT GLOWS flying insects into a snare of sticky threads. from it. The chemical reaction that produces the Just as our stomachs will rumble as we get light consumes a lot of oxygen. An airbag hungrier, the glowworm glows brighter the New Zealand has over 300 species of fungus surrounds the light organ, providing it with Photo: Emma-Louise Crawford hungrier it gets. The female also glows brighter gnat but only one - Arachnocampa luminosa - oxygen and acting as a silvery reflector to than the male during the pupa stage to ensure that produces light. concentrate the light. that it has a mate when it’s time to hatch. A fungus gnat can glow at all stages of its life TITIWAI - THE MAORI WORD FOR GLOWWORM THEY CATCH THEIR PREY IN STICKY LINES cycle (except as an egg), but the larva has the Glowworms in Maori are known as “Titiwai”. This brightest light. loosely translates to “lights that reflect on the If you look closely at a glowworm during its water”. larval stage, you’ll see that there will be fine THE GLOW IS CAUSED BY “SCIENCEY STUFF” beaded lines dangling from the larva. So why does the glowworm glow? The glow is HABITAT Glowworms create as many as 70 lines measuring 20-150mm (0.7-5.9 inches). The a result of a chemical reaction involving the Glow-worms need damp places, where the air beads are thick drops of sticky mucus used to luciferase enzyme acting on the luciferin is humid and still, to construct their snares. catch small insects attracted by the substrate then combining with adenosine Photo: Phil Bendle Caves and old mining tunnels are ideal. In the glowworm’s light. triphosphate and oxygen. Simple! forest glow-worm snares are commonest on moist banks beside a stream or in a ravine. PREY DISTRIBUTION Small midges are the usual prey of glow- Glowworms are widespread in both the North THEY HAVE FOUR MAIN STAGES IN ITS LIFE worms, but all sorts of flying insects get and the South Island of New Zealand although Glowworms live their lives in four stages. First, trapped in the sticky snares, including mayflies, they generally occur in cave systems and in they are an egg for 20-24 days. caddisflies and moths. Forest glow-worms may native bush where prey species are available also trap spiders, plant hoppers and even and humidity is high. When they hatch from an egg, they measure millipedes. The glow-worm simply cuts free about 3 millimeters in length and immediately Photo: Steve Kerr © Otago Museum any prey that is too large, or unwanted. AN ADULT GLOWWORM HAS NO MOUTH start making strands to catch prey. As they grow, they molt or shed their skin over the When insects fly towards the light and are So why do adult glowworms in the fly stage live coming months until they are ready to make a caught in the traps, they turn out the lights and such a short life? Well, it might be partly due to cocoon or pupae. reel in the strand and eat! Each strand that has the fact that the adult fly has no mouth! They prey is also recycled to maximize energy basically just mate and die. Next, they are a larva, which is when the savings. glowworm builds a nest, makes its lines, glows and feeds. This stage lasts approximately nine When living in caves, food can be scarce, Get in touch months. which is why Arachnocampa luminosa can go weeks or months without food and is why their 651 Brook Street, The Brook, Nelson 7010 Then, the glowworm becomes a pupa. This is hunting technique is incredibly energy efficient. (Entrance through the campground) when the glowworm morphs into a fly, taking 12 Tel +64 3 539 4920 to 13 days. Adult glow-worm flies are never caught in the Email [email protected] snares – they are not attracted to the light, and Web www.brooksanctuary.org.nz Finally, the glowworm becomes a fly. The even if they brush against the sticky threads adults have an incredibly short life span, only a they are strong enough to pull free. facebook.com/thebrooksanctuary few days because their sole purpose is to @brooksanctuary reproduce and lay eggs. They don’t even have BROOK SANCTUARY GLOWWORMS mouthparts. Photo: Andy MacDonald Check us out on TripAdvisor.
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