Fireflies and Glow Worms

The light that these creatures emit can be yellow, green or pale red. It is not infrared or ultraviolet frequencies and the non-flying females glow more than the males. Some of these insects are predatory and others feed on nectar. In the Philipines thousands of fireflies can be seen all the year round and sometimes they synchronise their light flash emissions precisely with each other. They prefer a temperate or tropical climate in marshlands or damp woodland areas. They hibernate in winter and the flashing signals are their way of communicating with one another. In North America they are sometimes called “lightning bugs” and in the United States of America they use the term Glow Worm for a species of gnat which are also famous in Australia and New Zealand for illuminating subterranean caverns. These amazing little creatures have been recorded as having been seen as long ago as 1500-1000 B.C.