glow worms

Facts A glow-worm uses its glow to invite insects to dinner :o) Insects fly towards the glow and get stuck in the sticky lines that the glow worm makes like spiders web It also uses its glow to turn other creatures off eating it. It makes its tail glow using bioluminescence which is a chemical reaction between a chemical the glow worm makes called luciferin mixes with air. That chemical reaction gives off light. Did You Know? There are lots of different types of glow-worms but the one we have in NZ is arachnocampa luminosa A glow-worm is the larva of a two-winged insect. The glow-worm starts as an egg, hatches into the lava (glow-worm) turns into a pupa in a cocoon and then turns into a tiny two winged flying insect. Glow-worms live in caves because they are damp so the glow-worm doesn’t dry out; because there are lots of hanging surfaces; because there are lots of insects and it’s dark to allow the glow-worms glow to be seen. Experiments Glowing glow sticks What you need: A dark room Glow sticks What you do: Inside the glow stick you can see a clear or coloured liquid. Also inside the glow stick is a little glass bubble (or ampoule) full of another chemical. When you bend the stick the bending breaks the glass bubble and the two chemicals mix together causing a chemical reaction to occur and that reaction causes light so your glow stick glows. Warming a glow stick under your armpit for a few minutes and cool one in the fridge for a few minutes before breaking them and see what happens. Does one glow brighter than the other? Does one last longer than the other? Investigation One evening have a good look for flying insects around your front or back door – without turning the light on. Turn the outside light on and go back inside. Do some homework for a while then go back outside and check for insects again. Are there any insects now? Where are they and what are they doing? Why would they be doing that? Jokes Why did the bird want to eat glow worms? It wanted a light meal Why was the glow-worm unhappy? Because her childern were not bright