Glow worm (Lampyris noctiluca) on a plant. The female of this beetle glows to attract a mate. The last three segments of the abdomen contain the chemi

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Glow worm (Lampyris noctiluca) on a plant. The female of this beetle glows to attract a mate. The last three segments of the abdomen contain the chemicals that provide the light. It is produced by the action of an enzyme (luciferase) on the chemical luciferin in the presence of oxygen. The production of light by an organism is called bioluminescence. The glow worm inhabits grassy areas on chalk and limestone in Britain and parts of Europe. The adult does not feed much, but the larva is a voracious predator of snails. The female is larger than the male, and may reach over 2 centimetres in length. Photographed in Kent, England.

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Size: 4328px × 3256px
Photo credit: © SINCLAIR STAMMERS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, beetle, bioluminescence, bioluminescent, britain, british, england, english, glow, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, kent, kingdom, lampyris, luciferase, luciferin, luminescence, luminescent, nature, noctiluca, uk, united, wildlife, worm, zoology