Glowworm!!! - Phengodes

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Elateriformia » Elateroidea » Glowworm Beetles (Phengodidae) » Phengodini » Phengodes

Photo#582550

Copyright © 2011 Ashley Bradford

Glowworm!!! - Phengodes

Carderock Park, Carderock, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
September 29, 2011
Size: ~6 cm

The first I've seen - I was so excited to find it! I wasn't sure what that big, brightly-colored larva was when I saw it crawling through the leaf litter, so I secured it and brought it home in case I could keep it and watch it metamorphose into whatever apparently large beetle it might become.

Through searching for "huge beetle larva" on the web, though, I managed to find what it was. And then you can imagine my delight when I discovered it glows in the dark! Quite nicely, I might add.

What a fun find! Now if only I could find it some millipedes... I looked under rocks in my yard and found only one, which is surprising considering how many I usually find under there (I did find a cute little salamander and also a flatworm - also exciting!) and I don't know if they're picky about what kind, but it hasn't eaten my offering yet.

Is this a female?

Images of this individual: tag all

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Contributed by Ashley Bradford on 30 September, 2011 - 12:02am

Phengodes

Ashley, Those shots are absolutely gorgeous of the Phengodes (Railroad worm). Wow! Little is known of them, but from my experience, those colored like the one you photographed are , I think, larvae. The only ones I have seen attract and mate with the much smaller feathery antennaed males have been solid cream colored females. I have never seen one of these maroon spotted ones attract a male. Plus the time of year you found this one suggests it is larval since their main mating time is June and usually only phengodes larvae are evident in the fall. Keep up the great work.

… LFaust, 26 October, 2011 - 8:51pm

Thanks so much

for appreciating my "worm", and the information. :)

… Ashley Bradford, 27 October, 2011 - 9:36am

Neat find. Lovely photos.

… Ilona L., 30 September, 2011 - 12:19am

Seconded

Gorgeous!

… Jeff Gruber, 30 September, 2011 - 10:10am

Thanks

to you both! :)

… Ashley Bradford, 30 September, 2011 - 10:31am

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