Lampyris noctiluca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Common Glow-worm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Adult male
 Left: Adult female
Right: same animal emitting light |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lampyris noctiluca (Linnaeus, 1767) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonyms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cantharis noctiluca Linnaeus, 1767 |
Lampyris noctiluca, the Common Glow-worm of Europe (see also "glowworm"), is a firefly species of the genus Lampyris. The flightless larviform females emit yellowish-green light from the translucent underside of their last three abdominal segments to attract the smaller males which are winged . The insect can regulate its light production by controlling the oxygen supply to the light emitting membranes containing luciferin. They are found in old-growth grassland, especially on chalk and limestone soils. The predatory larvae feed for two or three years on slugs and snails which they inject with digestive fluid. They become adults from May to July, eating little and dying after reproducing.
[edit] External links
 |
This beetle-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
