Glowworms

Shimomura, O., Johnson, F. H., and Haneda, Y. (1966a). Observations on the biochemistry of luminescence in the New Zealand glowworm, Arachnocampa luminosa. In Johnson, F. H., and Haneda, Y. (eds.), Bioluminescence in Progress, pp. 487-494. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 

LUMINESCENT BEHAVIOUR IN THE NEW ZEALAND GLOWWORM, A1L4CHNOCAMPA LUMINOSA (INSECTA DIPTERA MYCETOPHILIDAE)... 

Population density, growth stages, and glowworm nests... 

About 21 kinds of separate prey items such as insects, other arthropods like arachnids and millipedes, and even annelids and small gastropods are know from previous investigations around the habitat of the Waitomo Caves to serve as food for the glowworms. However, our observations, having been very limited in time and scope, were unable to confirm this variety of food items in the Waitomo Caves. We have to assume that the vast majority of the food items that the Waitomo Caves glowworms have been feeding on, was made up of small insects from the subterranean stream. 

Gatenby JB. Note on the New Zealand Glowworm, Bolitophila (Arachnocampa) luminosa. Trans Roy Soc NZ 1959 87 291-314. 

Stringer IAN. The larval behaviour of the New Zealand glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa. Tane 1967 13 107-17. 

Meyer-Rochow VB. The New Zealand Glowworm. Waitomo Caves Museum Society Inc., Waitomo Caves, New Zealand, 1990 1-60. 

Broadley RA, Stringer IAN. Prey attraction by larvae of the New Zealand glowworm, Arachnocama luminosa. Invert Biol 2001 120 170-7. 

The glowworms. .. represent another shew, which settle on some Trees, like a fiery cloud, with this surprising circumstance, that a whole swarm of these insects, having taken possession of one Tree, and spread themselves over its branches, sometimes hide their Light all at once, and a moment after make it appear again with the utmost regularity and exactness. .. 

The bioluminescence observed in glowworms and fireflies is due to the decomposition of 1,2-dioxetan-3-ones [12]. 

Luciferin 1, which occurs in fireflies and glowworms, upon enzymatic oxidation causes bioluminescence in these insects [103]. 

Historically, one of the first known references on luminescence dates from the Chinese literature of the years 1500-1000 bc, where the phenomenon of light coming out from different types of glowworms is described. However, it appears that the first reported observation of photoluminescence can be traced back to the sixteenth century when a Spanish physician and botanist, Nicolas Monardes, reported a blue tint that appeared in the water contained in cups of a special type of wood. Edmond Becquerel (1820-91) was, during the nineteenth century, the most important researcher on phosphorescence phenomenon he not only obtained the excitation and emission spectra from different phosphors, but also performed many different fundamental studies including the effect of temperature or the measurement of the emission time of the phosphorescence phenomenon and established a exponential law to explain the decay of the phosphorescence emission. For such purposes he built in 1858 the first phosphoroscope that was able to measure lifetimes as short as 10 . ... 

Bioluminescence is defined as the emission of light, without heat, by living organisms. It occurs in fireflies, glowworms, and some varieties of bacteria, fungi and deep-sea fish. The luminescence arises in the course of oxidation of compounds called luciferins with enzymes called luciferases. The composition of a luciferin is species dependent, but the oxidations can often be effected in quite low oxygen concentrations. 

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