Common Glow-worm

Lampyris noctiluca belongs to Lampyridae, the firefly family. [4]

Females are wingless, with exposed body segments, and reach about 20 mm. Smaller males have hardened wing covers and functional flight wings. Larvae carry reddish spots along the segment margins. [1]

The species occurs across Europe and Asia. In Flanders, Belgium, it occupies open woodland and woodland edges; British populations are often associated with limestone sites supporting snails. [1][2]

In the British seasonal account, adults are active from May to September, with a peak in June and July. Larvae are encountered over a longer season, from April to October. [1]

Larvae prey on snails. Adults do not feed, completing reproduction on resources accumulated during immature development. [1]

Females climb low vegetation after sunset and turn the luminous end of the abdomen upwards. The continuous yellow-green signal attracts flying males; after mating, females lay eggs and die. [1][2]

The female’s lantern lies on the underside near the abdominal tip. [1]

In a 2019 field experiment in Lippelo, Belgium, females exposed to orange streetlighting continued glowing for a median of six nights, compared with one night in dark locations. The researchers used cessation of glowing as a proxy for mating, and interpreted the prolonged displays as reduced mate attraction. [2]

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.