TY - JOUR T1 - Life cycle of an Australian glow-worm Arachnocampa flava Harrison (Diptera: Keroplatidae: Arachnocampinae) JF - Australian Entomologist Y1 - 2003 A1 - Baker, Claire H. A1 - Merritt, D. J. SP - 45 EP - 55 KW - Animalia-; Arachnocampa-flava (Diptera-): species- KW - Arthropoda- KW - Arthropods- KW - Australian-glow-worm KW - common-; Arachnocampa-luminosa (Diptera-): species-; Diptera-: Animals- KW - Development-; [75314-] Diptera- KW - Insecta- KW - Insects- KW - Invertebrata- KW - Invertebrates-; thorax-; egg-development-time; life-cycle; life-span; prey-capture; snare-construction; snare-mending AB -

The life cycle of the southeast Queensland glow-worm Arachnocampa flava Harrison is documented and comparisons made with the more extensively studied New Zealand glow-worm, A. luminosa (Skuse). The adult life span of A. flava is short. Females live a maximum of 2.5 days and males 6 days. Egg development time is 7-9 days and the pupal stage lasts 6-7 days. Behaviour associated with snare construction, prey capture and snare mending is described. Pupae lie suspended horizontally by an anterior and posterior bracing cord, whereas A. luminosa pupae are suspended vertically by a single cord attached at the thorax. Only larvae and one early stage female pupa of A. flava were observed to bioluminesce in the laboratory.

L2 - 21628 L3 - 21645 VL - 30 N1 - ArticleEnglish ER -