Insect · GBIF taxon 4290564
Plumose Glowworm Beetle
Phengodes plumosaAlso known as Railroad Worm, Plumose Glowworm
Females remain wingless and caterpillar-like throughout adulthood, glowing continuously with bright green luminescence along their body segments to attract mates. Males feature large, feathery antennae engineered to detect subtle female pheromones floating through dark woodland understories. Predatory larvae and females stalk millipedes across damp leaf litter in North American forests.
BioluminescentNocturnalWoodland Insect
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Millipedes
- Small Centipedes
- Soil Invertebrates
Predators
- Toads
- Spiders
- Ground Beetles
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, light pollution, excessive pesticide use
HabitatsDeciduous forests, damp woodlands, leaf litter
Life span1–2 years
Classification
- OrderColeoptera
- FamilyPhengodidae
- GenusPhengodes
- SpeciesPhengodes plumosa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Night Observations: Look for the soft green luminescence of females in damp leaf litter on warm summer nights.
- Light Attractants: Males frequently visit porch lights or UV light traps near rich deciduous woods.
- Minimize Disturbance: Enjoy their glow from a short distance without using bright flashlights.
Bioluminescent Cousin (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Thomas Fuhrmann / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.