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Species Account for Lampyris noctiluca

PLEASE NOTE, many records in this group are not yet available

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Lampyris noctiluca  (Linnaeus, 1758)
Glow-worm
Coleoptera: Lampyridae

Glow Worm 2 Copyright: Stephen Rolls

 
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Taxonomic group: beetles (Coleoptera) - Available county data

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Records: 487
First Record: 1983
Latest Record: 2023

1992-on hectads: 28
Pre-1992 hectads: 6
Total hectads: 28

Additional Phenology Data

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Glow Worm 2
Glow Worm 2
Lampyris noctiluca
Lampyris noctiluca

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Species text
The glow-worm is a beetle though only the males have typical beetle wing cases and the wingless females could be mistaken for an insect larva. It is the females that glow, to attract a mate. Larvae are predators on snails in long grass, usually on chalk or limestone. Although widespread in Britain, the species is thought to have declined over a long period due to habitat destruction, deterioration and fragmentation. This has been a subject of recent concern (e.g. Gardiner & Tyler, 2002), especially since the females are unable to fly, and little is known about how far the larvae will travel in search of new habitat. They are likely to find roads, watercourses or arable fields serious barriers to dispersal, so that local extinctions are unlikely to recolonise. References

Species text last edited on Tue Mar 20th 2007 by user 3

Habitats

Broad Habitat Data (based on 7 records with habitat information)

no subhabitat data available

Structural Habitat Data (based on 6 records with structural habitat information)

Habitat Detail and Method (based on 487 records with habitat detail and method information)

Recorded management for locations with Lampyris noctiluca

Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Lampyris noctiluca

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