Glow Worm Lampyris noctiluca
These small luminescent invertebrates are more beetle-like than worm-like. The males have hard cases which cover the wings when they are not in use; the females are wingless and dark brown, and sit waiting to mate whilst emitting a yellowish-green light.
Conservation status in Norfolk
Since the 1950s, there has been anecdotal evidence suggesting a decline in glow-worm populations, not just in Britain, but in the whole of Europe. Only through recording glow-worm sightings in Norfolk can we build a true picture of what is happening to this small but fascinating creature.
How to help
Create a glow-worm habitat in your garden – build a log pile as this gives the larvae somewhere to hide if it gets too hot and they are in danger of drying out and it also attracts snails – glow-worm larvae food.
Wildstock
Information on the Glow Worm
How to recognise
The egg, larva and male all emit a luminescence but it is the glow from the last three tail segments of the female glow-worm that is usually seen. The female is a dark brown wingless beetle, measuring up to 25mm. The male looks like a beetle with wings, with a fluttery almost moth-like flight and large eyes that are used to spot females. The larva, which hatches from an egg, has six legs at the head end, is black and made up of 13 body segments, each having two yellow spots on the hind corners.
Where to see
There are two species of glow-worm found in Britain. But, it is only this species which is found in Norfolk. Gardens, hedgerows, railway embankments, woodland rides, heathlands and cliffs are all possible habitats for glow-worms. They like their habitat to contain a patchwork of different vegetation, from bare ground to tall grass.
There is a scattering of glow-worm records in Norfolk and in 1992, during scrub clearance by a dyke; a new glow-worm site was recorded at Horning, on the Norfolk Broads. As more of the broads are managed, it is hoped that other glow-worm sites will be discovered.
When to see
From October, as the weather begins to cool the larvae of the glow-worm become dormant. From April larvae emerge from hibernation, feeding on snails and slugs. From late May to early September larvae that have already spent two years feeding pupate and emerge as adults. During this period male glow-worms take to the wing searching for the glowing female, who will be positioned on a piece of plant stem. Both sexes only live for two weeks and die shortly after mating.
Did you know?
Not all that glows are glow-worms. Some caterpillars, centipedes and fungi emit a luminescence.
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