Arachnocampa luminosa

Common card · No. 355287

Arachnocampa luminosa (Skuse, 1891), commonly known as New Zealand glowworm or simply glowworm, is a species of fungus gnat solely endemic to New Zealand. The larval stage and the imago produce a blue-green bioluminescence. The species is known to dwell in caves and on sheltered banks in the native bush where humidity is high, as moisture helps to maintain their silk structures that capture prey. Its Māori names are pūrātoke, from the verb "to glow", and titiwai, meaning "lights reflected in water." This likely derives from the glowworms' presence near bodies of water, where their luminous displays are reflected.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0