Worms? Ew.
Nuh -uh. These worms are SUPER COOL.
If you are making a trip to New Zealand, checking out the Glow Worms of the area is an experience which you DO NOT want to miss. Glow worms can light up an entire cave with their blue and green glow. These luminescent worms make for an outstanding site to see, a beautiful photo to take, and an unbelievable learning experience to remember.
These “worms” are not really worms at all. They are actually larvae, or maggots, of Fungus Gnat flies.
Not all Fungus Gnat flies were once glow worms. Glow Worms are a rare form of Fungus Gnat larvae which are carnivorous by nature – and their glow helps them catch their prey.
But what does that even mean???
Glow Worms use a special chemical reaction to illuminate themselves, attracting insects (aka. lunch). The insects fall into a trap, getting caught in the sticky substance that looked “oh so pretty” from afar.
Glow Worms use this method to catch their food. Their catches range from millipedes and spiders, to moths and mayflies.
You can see these worms in several places around New Zealand. You find them in damp environments — be it in a cave, a grotto, a riverbank, or in a native forest. Some tours allow you to walk under an overhang of Glow Worms, others offer boat-through, kayak, or hiking experiences.
