Some notes and observations of Glow Worm larvae in captivity
 
 
Total number of glows x 24 nights   712     Highest recorded number of glows per observation period   295
Total average glows per night   29.66     Highest recorded number of glows per single minute period   6
 
 
Date: 29/08/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Active till 23:19h, then remained stationary on log, when glowed for periods of 13, 8 and 4 seconds at 23:20h. Glowed a total of 37 times in two hours.
 
 
Date: 30/08/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva was constantly active from 22:37h. Glowed a total of 69 times in two hours.
 
 
Date: 31/08/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva completely dormant this evening and later found tucked under a small log at the end of the observation period.
 
 
Date: 01/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva noted to remain dormant throughout the day on the underside of a log and continued to be inactive during the observation period.
 
 
Date: 02/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate damp. ... Food available: Yes. Had eaten.
Notes: Larva eaten slug during the day, then remained inactive for rest of the day and during the observation period.
 
 
Date: 03/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry and disturbed. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva very active during the observation period and glowed a total of 172 times. Glow duration noted to be around 1/2 seconds longer than before feeding, but two glows of 17 seconds were noted. Larva clearly glowed for longer periods when climbing objects placed on substrate.
 
 
Date: 04/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate partly wet. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva not active until just after 23:00h. After glowing relatively well for 5 minutes prior to 23:30, she became less active visibly and glowed briefly at 23:40h. After a seven minute period, she suddenly glowed constantly for 12 seconds and never glowed again. But this glow was found to coincide with catching a small snail in the container and begin feeding.
 
 
Date: 05/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate damp. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva continued to feed on small snail during the day, caught the previous evening. Glowed six times within a four minute period from 22:26h, then became inactive.
 
 
Date: 06/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate wet. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Container left in full sun for long periods during the day. Larva inactive and glowed twice during the observation period.
 
 
Date: 07/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva largely inactive throughout the observation period, but did glow a total of four times.
 
 
Date: 08/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate wet. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva active, recorded glowing 84 times and a single long duration glow of 18 seconds noted at 23:53h. Larva very mobile this evening.
 
 
Date: 09/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva inactive, producing two single glows at 22:27h and 23:57h, though was seen to be moving around at the time of the second glow.
 
 
Date: 10/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate changed and wet. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva became extremely active from 22:24h, producing 295 glows until the end of the observing period. The consistant number of glows per minute (gpm) is unusual and may have been induced by an awareness of having two prey items in the container.
 
 
Date: 11/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate damp. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive and possibly may have fed (unseen) during the day.
 
 
Date: 12/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive. Glowed once at 22:02h from within substrate.
 
 
Date: 13/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate wet. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive and found to be eating a small snail. Began to glow faintly at 23:41h and remained glowing till the end of the observing period at 00:00h.
 
 
Date: 14/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate damp. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive.
 
 
Date: 15/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive and found during the day to be eating another small snail.
 
 
Date: 16/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva inactive, but did produce a single glow on three seperate occasions (not recorded in the graph) as a direct reaction to the container lid being replaced after inspection to check on her location.
 
 
Date: 17/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva inactive during the observation period, but almost immediately became active after 00:00h. Was observed still producing regular glows at 02:15h (early hours of the 18th).
 
 
Date: 18/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate wet. ... Food available: No.
Notes: Larva inactive.
 
 
Date: 19/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate damp. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive.
 
 
Date: 20/09/12 ... No data available.
 
 
Date: 21/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva inactive.
 
 
Date: 22/09/12 ... Time: 22:00h-00:00h. ... Conditions: Indoors at room temperature. Substrate dry. ... Food available: Yes.
Notes: Larva virtually inactive, but did produce occasional glows early in the observation period, but moved very little and soon retreated to cover.
     
     
Glow Worm larvae observational data    
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