When it outgrows the head capsule it moults, shedding its skin. The body of the larva is soft while the head capsule is hard. It occurs in modified excretory organs known as Malpighian tubules in the abdomen. The glow is the result of a chemical reaction that involves luciferin, the substrate luciferase, the enzyme that acts upon luciferin adenosine triphosphate, the energy molecule and oxygen. When Arachnocampa prey are scarce, larvae may show cannibalism, eating other larvae, pupae or adult flies. When a prey animal is caught by a snare, its larva pulls it up (at up to about 2 mm a second) and feeds on the prey. Prey include midges, mayflies, caddisflies, mosquitos, moths, and even small snails or millipedes. A hungry larva glows brighter than one that has just eaten. The roof of a cave covered with larva can look remarkably like a blue starry sky at night. Ī larva's glow attracts prey into its threads. In some species, the droplets of mucus on the silk threads are poisonous, enhancing the trap's ability to subdue prey quickly. The larvae can only live in a place out of the wind, to stop their lines being tangled, hence caves, overhangs or deep rainforest. The larva spins a nest out of silk on the ceiling of the cave and then hangs down as many as 70 threads of silk (called snares) from around the nest, each up to 30 or 40 cm long and holding droplets of mucus. A larva is only about 3–5 mm long when it emerges from its egg, and can grow up to about 3 cm long. These flies live from about 6 through 12 months as larvae, depending on food availability. Individuals spend most of their lives as larvae. The genus Arachnocampa belongs in the family Keroplatidae.Īrachnocampa species have holometabolous metamorphosis with eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults.
The name was changed in 1924 to Arachnocampa, meaning " spider web-worm," for the way the larvae hang sticky silk threads to ensnare prey. The species of Arachnocampa are endemic to Australia and New Zealand, dwelling in caves and grottos, or sheltered places in forests.Ī previous synonym was " Bolitiphila," meaning " mushroom lover," in the past. Arachnocampa is a genus of nine fungus gnat species which have a bioluminescent larval stage, akin to the larval stage of glowworm beetles.
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