Seen strange glowing lights in the Caithness countryside? UK Glow-worm Survey wants to know
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A rare sighting in 1958 has glow-worm enthusiasts keen to find out if the report was accurate in highlighting Loch Watten as a habitat for the mysterious insect.
The county’s night owls are invited to send reports to the UK Glow-worm Survey which collates sightings throughout the UK.
The glow-worm is a light-emitting beetle and one of Britain's most remarkable insects which has enchanted people for generations.
The UK Glow-worm Survey (UKGS) is asking for for help to investigate a historical glow-worm record from the Loch Watten area which dates back to 1958. If correct, this would be the most northerly site for glow-worms in the UK.
A spokesperson for UKGS says: “The age of the record shouldn’t put people off.
“If there have been no significant habitat changes, it is perfectly possible that glow-worms will still be present. However, there is the possibility that this may be a recording error in location or spelling: the grid reference may be wrong, or perhaps it actually refers to slow worms.”
Anyone up for the challenge should get in touch with Jim Alder at the UK Glow-worm Survey: derbyshireglowworms@gmail.com. He can provide advice on finding glow-worms, including where they are most likely to be and how to record them.
“It would be fantastic if glow-worms could be re-found at Loch Watten,” says Jim.
The scientific name for the glow-worm is Lampyris noctiluca and the insect can grow up to 15mm in length. It is generally found in parts of England (especially the south), lowland Scotland and Wales. There are no sightings received from Northern Ireland.
Glow-worms are active from May to late August and are most noticeable at night in June and July when the females light up to attract the males.
They are found in meadows, parks, gardens and orchards on low-growing vegetation. During the day they can be found under stones and logs.
The larvae feed on small snails and slugs. The adults rarely feed at all.
The light is comparable to a green LED light on electronic gadgets and created by a substance in the abdomen called luciferin, which when mixed with oxygen, breaks down creating the light.
Only the last few segments of the female’s abdomen emit light. She has complete control over the light emission and can switch it on and off at will.
The larvae also emit light, but from a smaller patch, and even the eggs of the glow-worm, which are laid in clusters of up to 100, can emit light.
Street lighting and security lighting seem to have a detrimental effect on glow-worm reproduction. In areas where there is artificial lighting, males are attracted to this and miss the females altogether.
For this reason, glow-worm populations seem to survive better in areas with less light pollution.
The best time to look for glow-worms is after 10pm when it's dark.
