GLOWWORM, the name given to the wingless females of certain coleopterous insects of the family lampyridce, remarkable for the luminosity of some of the last segments of the abdomen. The insects of the family lampyridce have five joints in all the tarsi, the antenna toothed, the elytra (wing-covers)—at least of the males—covering the whole abdomen, the whole body soft and the elytra flexible, tire females often destitute both of wings and elytra, the thorax projecting over and almost concealing tire head. When seized, they place their feet and antennte close to the body, many of them also curving tire abd)men downward, and simulate death. The COMMON GLOWWORM (Latn,py•is noctiletea) is abundant in some parts of England, and rare in the s. of Scotland. Tho antenna are short. The male has very large eyes. The female, which is larger than the male, is fully half an inch in length, of a blackish color, the legs dusky red, and the thorax and abdomen margined with that color. The female is perfectly destitute both of wings and elytra. The habits of the insect are nocturnal. The male emits a faint light, the female a soft but strong light, of which the use is supposed to be to attract and guide the male. The female glow-worm is generally to be found, durin.fr summer months, among grass, or on mossy banks. There is reason to think that Li glow-worm
has the power of displaying and extinguishing its light at pleasure, so that it may not be unnecessarily exposed to enemies; but if the luminous portion of the abdomen be removed, it retains its luminosity for some time. If placed in hydrogen gas, it some times detonates. The luminous matter is capable of being mixed with water, and warm water increases its brilliancy. Two spots on the last segment of the abdomen are more luminous than any other part, and a constant motion of this segment seems to be con nected with the emission of tlic light. The two semments next to this are each surrounded by a band brighter than the rest of the segment. The larva of the glow-worm is very similar to the perfect female insect, but is very faintly luminous. It is very voracious, attacking and devouring snails, whereas tire perfect insect eats little, and is supposed to prefer the tender leaves of plants.—Several species of glow-worm are found in the warmer parts of Europe, and in other parts of the world. The luminosity of the males of the genus /ampyris, and of other winged insects of the family lompyridce, has obtained for them the name of fire-flies (q.v.).