Invertebrates
See our handy guide to critters found in local homes and our Central Coast Butterfly FAQ. Browse the insects and other terrestrial arthropods we’ve identified. Check out local marine invertebrates, particularly bivalve mollusks and intertidal organisms.
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Firefly/Glowing insect
Our friends report that they have glowing insects in their yard! They just moved to Santa Teresita, up off of Ontare. She sent me a photo, which isn't very clear, but I had never heard of Glowing bugs in Santa Barbara before! Have you? Thank you!
Curator Response
Hi Michele,
Nice find! While people commonly say that there are no fireflies in California, that isn’t entirely true, as we have a decent number of species, but most of ours just don’t glow.
However, there is one genus, Microphotus, in which the females do glow. The females are wingless, elongate, and look nothing like typical fireflies, and so they’re typically referred to as “glowworms” instead. Here's a photo of a Microphotus mating pair that illustrates the dramatic difference between the sexes, and here's a good photo of a species of Microphotus glowworm lighting up. The species in those photos is Microphotus fragilis, found in Arizona. The species you likely encountered is Microphotus angustus, which is found throughout California, and produces a greenish light like the one you photographed.
Sincerely,
Schlinger Chair of Entomology Alex Harman, Ph.D.
