Species distinctions: Brazilian Railway Glowworm:
Body length: larvae are 4.0 to 5.0 cm (1.5 to 2.0 in)
Life-span: n/a
Diet: plants, insects
Distinctive qualities: only found in particular areas of Brazil; females are wingless and males winged; luminous organs on either side of abdominal segments; eleven pairs of photogenic organs of greenish-yellow light; anal segment produces bright red light, a rarity as other organisms produce green, blue, or yellow light.

The railway glowworm is, in actual fact, the larvae of the firefly, and is not a true fly, but a beetle (families: Lampyridae, Elateridae) which is short lived as an adult, where the larvae stage may last for many months or years. Most females are wingless, clinging to foliage and flash lights to attract males, where the males possess wings. Most of the required feeding is completed during the larvae stage, where many larvae are carnivorous, and for females and fully-grown larvae, most of their life is spent hidden underground. The larvae may feed on slugs, snails, vegetation, roots, rotting wood, other insects, or other plants, which are digested with specialized digestive fluid. Glowworms and fireflies may be found in Burma, India, Malaya, Thailand, Asia, North America, South American, and Europe, their light best seen after nightfall.

Bioluminescence: When considering the glowworm or firefly, it may be pointed out that the eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults may be luminescent to an extent, where the light is used as defense, attraction in order to mate, communication, or as a way to keep a group together where there is a surplus of food resource. The best time to see the luminescence of such specimens is during the night when the moon is not shining too bright, as moonlight reduces the output of light signals, and it may be that a large group may be observed, flashing in unison, as is common in Thailand. It is during the evening that the short-lived adults display their lights, usually of green, yellow, or even reddish hue, which may be emitted in particular flashing sequences which vary with species to distinguish individuals and find the proper mate.

Luminescence may be used to bring mates together, where both females and males are equally luminous and send signals back and forth to one another. It is common for Photinus pyralis male to flash his light for a split second at intervals of 6.0 s, where the female then replies: the process may repeat until the two are close enough to make physical contact. However, in some instances, the light may bring destruction: the female Photuris pennsylvanica, may attract males of Photinus scintillans, which she then captures and eats, which supplies extra protein to the fertile eggs she may be carrying. For others, the male fireflies mistake artificial light for possible mates and are drawn to the only to death or mutilation.

The light of glowworms and fireflies is more efficient than artificial light, however the brilliance is not as creditable and may be exaggerated. However, historically, some humans have used them as cheap lights where they could not afford artificial light, such as the students in China or Japan. In Brazil, they may be used in gourd lanterns, huts, worn in the hair, or tied to the ankles for night traveling.

Anemaw [Animal Electromagnetism and Waves] © Elizabeth Gerrow 2002 .