Glowworms - Glow Worm Tunnel - Newnes, NSW, Australia
S 33° 14.880 E 150° 13.417
56H E 241329 N 6317781
The Interpretation Sign is at the car park for the walk to the Glow Worm Tunnel, about a kilometre away.
Waymark Code: WMXA7E
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 12/16/2017
Views: 0
Glow worms are easily disturbed and will "switch off" if there is a lot of noise or flashing torches.
For the best view of the glow worms, stop in the middle of the tunnel, turn off your torch and wait quietly.
The sign at the car park goes on, to say:
"Glow worms live in caves and other damp, dark places, where they spin snares of hanging silken threads studded with sticky droplets to entrap small insects such as mosquitoes, which are attracted by the light produced by these larvae.
"A blue glow or bioluminescence of the larvae is the result of a reaction between body products and oxygen in the enlarged tips of the insect's four excretory tubes.
"Bioluminescence can be controlled by regulating the supply of oxygen to these tubes.
"The life history of the glow worm involves four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult fly. Eggs are laid in large numbers directly onto the cave wall. After three weeks they hatch into tiny larvae which immediately emit a bright light. The larvae grow over a period of months until they reach a length of about 30 mm.
"When about to pupate, the larvae shrink in size and become translucent. The larval skin is shed and the larva develops into a pupa, which is suspended vertically. The pupal stage lasts about 12 days. The female pupa is larger and stouter than the male and possesses two prominent bulges at the rear of the abdomen. Both male and female pupae glow. Both adults can also glow, though once egg laying commences, female lies seldom glow.
"Male flies tend to live longer than females, and can live up to four days. Please respect these fascinating creatures by helping to protect the glow worms and their habitat so that others can enjoy seeing them in the future."
It is a bit of a rough track down to the Glow Worm Tunnel, so take care.
Visited: 1020 - 1150, Sunday, 2 October, 2016
Visit Instructions:
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