Known in Latin as Lampyris noctiluca (noctiluca meaning 'night light'), this charming glowing critter is not actually a worm, but a beetle.
There are some things that get me really excited and glow-worms fall into that category. Having grown up in London I never saw glow-worms; it wasn't until I moved to my Hampshire hillside that I first saw one, glowing away beautifully.
We usually see them most summers - I was devastated one year when we saw none, but the following year they were back.
We go on regular family outings to a nearby plant-covered mound of soil, which seems to be a five-star glow-worm night spot. The thrill of seeing them is immense; they're such magical creatures.
Known in Latin as Lampyris noctiluca (noctiluca meaning 'night light'), this charming glowing critter is not actually a worm, but a female beetle. She produces the yellowy-green light from the end of her abdomen as a mating signal to passing males -far more subtle than the red light! The male, by comparison, is a dull browny-black. The larvae (which, sadly, I've never seen) are a gardener's friend as they feast on snails throughout June and July. But even if they weren't so useful, I'd happily welcome them into my garden, as, come nightfall tonight we'll be out there, excitedly grinning whilst those gorgeous girls sit there glowing!
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