# Lightning Bug Larvae???



## gunslinger (Mar 20, 2007)

I found a handful of these under some rotting particle board and put them in a jar to show my son.   Later I noticed they were glowing.  I've done a little bit of hunting around but I have found no pictures that look the same.  So does anyone know if these are some sort of firefly larvae or if not what they might be?














Also can someone tell me why my pics are always so HUGE!  I even crop them to make them smaller,and they just stay big


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## Gigas (Mar 20, 2007)

I think it is the adult females that glow (they look like the larvae)


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## myrmecophile (Mar 20, 2007)

Instead of cropping do a resize in your image editing program. Females and larvae of many species glow and tend to look alike.


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## lucanidae (Mar 20, 2007)

That is a Lampyridae larvae, not a larviform female. Phengodidae is also known as the glow worm, and larviform females are much more common in that family.  However, the specimen pictured is most definitley Lampyridae.

Phengodidae larviform female: http://bugguide.net/node/view/95569
Lampyridae Larvae: http://bugguide.net/node/view/48012/bgimage


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## gunslinger (Mar 20, 2007)

Im not sure I understand the difference between the Lampyridae larvae and a larviform female.  Is a larviform female just a mature one that stays in larval form?  Anyhow the link was def. it.  Dont know how I didn't see it, I did scour bug guide before posting here.  :? 

It sure was odd to see one of them glowing thats for sure.  Thanks for the ID help.


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## Wade (Mar 21, 2007)

Yes...some species of beetles have larviform females that are mature but never pupate or develop adult traits. Both are lightningbugs (or fireflies) but from different groups.

Both males and females flash, and the pattern of flashing is unique to the species. I believe most species are predatory. In some species, an adult female will actually flash the pattern of a different species (after already mating with a male of her own species) in order to attract males of the other. When they come to her..she eats them!

Wade


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## gunslinger (Mar 21, 2007)

Thanks for the clarification Wade.


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