

Glow worms live across the world in a variety of warm environments, as well as in more temperate areas. Typical habitats include grasslands, hedges, railway embankments, wetlands, and cliffs. Some live in drier environments, but they are then found in localized areas that retain moisture.


Both larvae and adults can be a range of colors such as black, brown, yellow, green, or red. In both the larvae and adults, the light-producing organs are in the last few tail segments of the body. The females often look very similar to the larvae, but in many species, they are more flattened than the males, and do not have wings – which means they cannot fly. The adult males are medium-sized insects, segmented and elongated, often with long antennae. When they move about, they often use their tails to help them, which makes them look very similar to caterpillars. Rather, they have segmented bodies and six legs at the head end. Glow worm larvae are not worm-like at all.
