New Zealand glowworm

Arachnocampa luminosa

''Arachnocampa luminosa'' , commonly known as New Zealand glowworm or simply glowworm, is a species of fungus gnat 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 native bush where humidity is high. Its Māori name is titiwai, meaning "projected over water".

The first written record of the species dates from 1871 when it was collected from a gold mine in New Zealand's Thames region. At first it was thought to be related to the European glowworm beetle but, in 1886, a Christchurch teacher showed it was a larva of a gnat, not a beetle. The species was first formally described in 1891 with the species name ''Bolitiphila luminosa'' and was assigned to the family Mycetophilidae. In 1924, it was placed within a new genus of its own, ''Arachnocampa'', because the wing venation of the adults and the behaviour of the larvae differed significantly from other ''Bolitophila'' fly species. It was given the genus name on the basis of its building a silk nest and using silk threads to capture prey.
3/3 New Zealand glow worm bioluminescence Image 3 of 3... 60 metres below ground surface in Ruakuri Cave, part of the Waitomo caves system on the north island of New Zealand. Seen here is New Zealand glow worm larva exhibiting bioluminescence. It was just amazing to see the visual effect of this phenomenon, deep within the caves. Flash photography was not allowed and capturing any image of these intriguing life forms in almost complete darkness was a challenge - I hope these images are of sufficient quality for others to enjoy. Arachnocampa luminosa,Diptera,Geotagged,Keroplatidae,Macro,New Zealand,autumn,bioluminescence,fungus gnat larvae,insect

Distribution

''Arachnocampa luminosa'' is widespread in both the North and the South Island of New Zealand although populations generally occur where in cave systems and in native bush where prey species are available and humidity is high. Some sites have become popular destinations for tourists wanting to see the glowworms. These include the caves in Waitomo, Waipu, and Te Anau, and also in areas of native vegetation such as the Wellington Botanical Gardens.
2/3 New Zealand Glow worm silken lures Image 2 of 3... 60 metres below ground surface in Ruakuri Cave, part of the Waitomo caves system on the north island of New Zealand. Seen here is New Zealand glow worm silken lure threads, suspended from the cave surface . The larval stage and the imago of this fungus gnat produce a blue-green bioluminescence. It was just amazing to see the visual effect of this phenomenon, deep within the caves. Flash photography was not allowed and capturing any image of these intriguing life forms in almost complete darkness was a challenge - I hope the images are of sufficient quality for others to enjoy. Arachnocampa luminosa,Diptera,Geotagged,Keroplatidae,Life in the dark,Macro,New Zealand,autumn,insect,invertebrate,silk lure

Behavior

The spherical eggs are usually deposited directly onto the cave wall. Upon hatching, the cylindrical larva immediately begins to glow. When they first emerge they are usually between 3 and 5 millimeters long, and will grow to between 30 and 40mm across several months. The larvae may move around on the surface of the cave or bank before selecting a site to begin producing its silk nest. Most larvae emerge during the spring.

The larva spins a nest out of silk on the ceiling of the cave and then hangs down up to 30 silk threads along which it regularly places small sticky droplets. Their prey largely include other small Diptera although glowworm living on banks may also trap spiders and other non-flying invertebrates. When prey is entangled in a snare, the larva pulls it up by ingesting the snare and starts feeding on the prey alive.

After five larval instars, the larva will suspend itself on a long thread and pupates over up to 24 hours. The pupal phase lasts about two weeks. During this time, the pupa continue to glow although males eventually lose their glow. The adults which eventually emerge are poor fliers. Adults usually emerge during the winter and tend to live for up to 76 hours in the case of females and up to 96 hours in the case of males. Females usually lay over 100 eggs and eggs usually hatch after about 20 days.

Sources of mortality for glowworms include predation by cave harvestmen '', parasitic fungi , and possibly cannibalism when adults become entangled in other larvae's silk threads although evidence is mixed.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderDiptera
FamilyKeroplatidae
GenusArachnocampa
SpeciesA. luminosa
Photographed in
New Zealand