Notes on pupal behaviour, eclosion, mate attraction, copulation and predation of the New Zealand glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Skuse) (Diptera: Keroplatidae), at Waitomo

The behaviour of pupae and adults ofthe New Zealand glowworrn Arachnocampa luminosa was observed in Reserve Cave and in the cave entrance at Waitomo, New Zealand, from remote video recordings made with infra-red light. One female pupa observed in the cave was videotaped for 111 h before the adult emerged and copulated with a male. This female took 13 h 23 min to eclose, during which she glowed intermittently on 17 occasions. The male alighted upon the emerging female 13 h and 8 min after eclosion commenced and 3 min 33 s after she last glowed. Copulation commenced 12 h 55 min later and continued for 12 h 36 min. Two minutes after the pair separated, both adults were caught and eaten by a predatory harvestman (Megalopsalis tumida). Most of the eclosion was recorded for a second female pupa observed, on a rock face inthe bush-clad entrance to Reserve Cave after 97 h of videotaping. Prior to eclosion this pupa made flicking movements when small crawling invertebrates contacted it during the daytime; this is the first time this behaviour has been described for A. luminosa. A male pupa inthe cave was videotaped for 94 h until the adult emerged. It glowed dimly for 45 min during eclosion and the adult off 42 h 39 min after eclosion commenced.