[NatureNS] Firefly larva/Glow-worm?

Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 22:59:25 -0300
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca>
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Hi there,

	Last Wednesday night I participated in an Owl Survey with Suzanne 
Borkowski and Bob McDonald in the Pockwock watershed.   It was a very 
warm night after an unseasonably hot day.  During the evening, at 
several stops, I was intrigued to notice a number of points of light 
on the ground at my feet.  (Standing still and silent and watchful, 
on a gated woods road under the night sky, does have the effect of 
heightening one's awareness of everything that's around, not only 
birds!)   At first I thought I was seeing bits of metal that were 
reflecting moonlight, but the lights persisted even when the moon was 
behind clouds, and they moved, though rather slowly.  At times an 
individual light would disappear.

	Eventually to satisfy my curiosity I shone my flashlight where I had 
seen a little glow of light and then grabbed the object.  Back in the 
car I found that I had something that looked sort of like a 
sowbug.  I usually have an empty film cannister to put such things 
in, but didn't this time, so used a handy ziplock bag to bring it 
home.  The only luminous insect I could think of was Firefly, but 
this didn't have wings.  However when I looked them up I was 
interested to learn that all firefly larvae are bioluminescent.  They 
are often called glow-worms, a name I've  seen in print before but 
not explained or illustrated.  I've looked at a few photos on the web 
and this seems to be what I have.  It has a soft wingless segmented 
body with three pairs of legs.  The body is dark above, light below 
with dark speckles, and there are tiny hairs at the tips of the 
eleven segments that make up the abdomen.  The head has two white 
"horns" with black tips.  However I'm sorry to say that I haven't 
seen it glow in captivity.   Unfortunately I don't have the 
technology to share a photo, but Chris, if you'd like it, I could 
bring the specimen in to the Museum.  It's still alive.

	Cheers,

	Patricia L. Chalmers
	Halifax

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