Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand
It’s far less romantic to call them
Arachnocampa luminosa or fungus gnats, so let’s go with the common name:
New Zealand glowworms. It’s those luminescent insects that make the ceiling of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves shine like a
starry night sky. Some scientists suggest that illusion of a night sky is precisely what might draw a mayfly or mosquito to soar up and fly into the snare of a waiting glowworm. Feeding on other insects is how the larva of this species survives long enough to mature into an adult gnat whose sole purpose is to find a mate. The adult doesn’t even eat during the few days it lives.