Species · GBIF taxon 5744295
Common Glow-worm
Lampyris noctilucaAlso known as European Glow-worm, Glow-worm
Common glow-worms are famous for the brilliant, yellowish-green light emitted by wingless females to attract flying males on warm summer nights. While the adult females resemble larvae and cannot fly, the smaller males possess fully functional wings and large, sensitive eyes adapted for spotting glows from above. The predatory larvae spend up to three years hunting snails and slugs before undergoing a brief, non-feeding adult stage.
BioluminescentNocturnalPredatory
Licensed reference(c) Ettore Balocchi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
- diet
- Snails and slugs for larvae; adults do not feed
- family
- Lampyridae
- threats
- Light pollution, habitat fragmentation, pesticides, and decline of prey
- life Span
- 2 to 3 years
NT
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Populations are declining due to artificial light pollution, which drowns out the female mating glow, and habitat fragmentation.
Never shine bright lights directly on glowing females, and avoid handling them to prevent disrupting their short mating window.- Use red light: Avoid using white flashlights or phone screens, which disrupt their mating signals.
- Look on warm nights: Search grassy banks and hedgerows from June to July just after dusk.
- Watch your step: Keep to established paths to avoid trampling the wingless females on the ground.