Thought I'd found a new gadget...

[spandit]

Was on a rather late dog walk which ended walking through a local wood in the dark. There was just enough moon to see the path (but not the twig that poked me right in the eye...) but a bright green light caught our attention. Thinking I'd stumbled on some electronic gadget dropped earlier that day, I shone my torch on it to see. It was a glow worm! I scooped it onto a leaf to take a closer look (it appeared to be dead) but the picture I took is just a green blob on a black background.

Saw another one on the way back - remarkable!

 

[Robbi]

nice one i've never actually seen one

 

[spandit]

From reading Wikipedia it appears that the females glow, breed, lay eggs and die. Might go back to see if there are any more

 

[Toddy]

Get Cobweb to tell you about her midnight piddle and the glow in the dark fungus
Funniest story, but the fungus, some kind of timber rot is awesome stuff

Glow worms are pretty cool too though

cheers,
M

 

[Teepee]

I did the exact same thing when I saw one, I thought it was a fishing glowstick

Very cool bugs.

There is a website that you can report your find and they place it on a map for research as they are rare. Mine was at Biggin, near Oundle.

 

[Teepee]

Gloworm survey here

 

[Neumo]

I did not know that I glow worms found in the UK, let alone in Sussex. I always thought they were one of those exotic animals is only found in South America and other exotic far-flung places of the world. I must look into that.

 

[Bushwhacker]

My youngest brother came for tea tonight and said he saw what he thought was a green LED in the grass down on the coast. I nearly spat my roast lamb out laughing when he said "I couldn't believe it. It wasn't an LED it was a bee" I've got to have words with the boy.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

It's the females that glow, to attract the flying males.

 

[spandit]

I did not know that I glow worms found in the UK, let alone in Sussex

Maybe not in West Sussex

If you want to meet up I'll show you where they are but they're probably not uncommon it's just that people tend to avoid the woods at night

 

[The Lord Poncho]

...... they're probably not uncommon it's just that people tend to avoid the woods at night

That's probably true- I see loads about almost every night around these months when I'm out at night with the TA- most likely becuase there is no artificial light about, and we are out in the woods at night time. They glow surprisingly bright- i often think that someone in the patrol before me has dropped their compass!

 

[Harvestman]

I missed them at my local spot this year. The season is very short, but I'm told that a few were seen by locals.

Last year I stood in for a guy who was supposed to be leading a glow worm walk for the local wildlife trust, and he had to drop out last minute. 3 hours later, searching in a known glow worm location, nothing. Trying to keep people interested, who have paid to see glow worms, when there are none about, isn't easy.

Next night I found three in the same spot!

30 years ago I remember having them in my garden.