Glow Worms

New Zealand does not have fireflies, which is too bad, but they do have glowworms, which are quite cool. Although they are called worms, they are actually the larvae of a gnat. The "worms" are found in caves, embankments, or on the side of fallen logs. They produce sticky threads which hang down from the cave wall and the worm produces a bright green glow from one end which serves to attract nocturnal insects. The insects are trapped in the strings and eaten
by the worms. Shane and I took a nighttime walk in the Whirinaki forest and we found glow worms everywhere. At a good embankment, the scattered lights look exactly like stellar constellations. It is a great treat to find them. I have a picture I took with a flash, so you can see the worm. It is right in the middle, although it is harder to make out the glow.
Posted by Hello