#lampyris

[razehider]

for an animal whose movement i would tentatively describe as both "trundling" and "inching", firefly larvae can be kind of annoying to get a decent photo of. rescuing this one from the road gave me a good excuse to hold it in my hand and convince it to stay still for a little bit

display your ridiculous mouthparts all you like. you cannot intimidate me, for i am no gastropod

(February 23rd, 2025)

[driftionlive]

ARTFIGHT DAYS 1-5

[wild-e-eep]

A glow worm larva taking down a slug many times its own size.

Wikipedia has a decent write-up of what's going on here under the heading Life cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampyris_noctiluca#Life_cycle

[emanuro]

Nature is always amazing under every tree, among leaf litter, everywhere. This is a chubby firefly larva (Lampyris sp., possibly L. sardiniae) preying upon a undetermined snail. The larval stage can last 2-3 years, overwintering under logs and rocks, while the adult stage only last a few weeks between May and July. They burn fast indeed! Shot a few days ago in Sardinia island, a land of endless amazement for nature. #sardinia #lampyris #firefly #predatoridelmicrocosmo #insect #hunter #thehunt #snail #biodiversity #lifeanddeath #nature #glowworm #wildlife #undergrowth @ilcp_photographers https://www.instagram.com/emanuele_biggi/p/BxIPq7SB68v/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1o0rwvvuqlvf6

[razehider]

when it comes to energy levels, firefly larvae are fickle little creatures, and i seem to only ever find really active or really sleepy individuals with no inbetween. this one was very lethargic and all curled up which gave me a chance to handle it, but it perked up quickly enough after being on my hand

whether due to recently waking up or some other reason, it still walked in kind of a stupid way. all firefly larvae walk in a stupid way really, but they don't usually look hungover

(June 6th, 2025)

[razehider]

a much more stereotypical looking firefly than the Luciola i usually see, this iberian firefly (Lampyris iberica) was riding out a rainy day in the foliage, and his sleepiness let me have a good look at both his enlarged pronotum and the huge eyes it covered up. little spaceman

(July 11th, 2025)

[razehider]

anyone who's familiar with firefly larvae has seen their specialized gastropod-hunting mouthparts, but even when the latter aren't visible they have an equally charming silhouette that i personally always see as a ridiculous duck bill

(December 10th, 2024)

[wild-e-eep]

A couple of glow worm photos from last night <3