These Carnivorous Worms Catch Bugs by Mimicking the Night Sky
From Deep Look
4 min4th5th6thScience
Summary
Glowworms in a dark cave shine like tiny stars, luring flying insects into sticky lines. Deep Look reveals how these larvae fake a starry sky to trap the prey that drifts toward their glow.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Cave glowworms make their own light to imitate a starlit sky. Insects fly toward what looks like an open exit and get caught in the glowworms' sticky snares -- a glowing trap.
- How do glowworms use light to catch prey?
- Why do flying insects head toward the glow?
- How does making light give these glowworms an advantage?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: bioluminescence, lure, trap, trait.
Try it: Shine a small light in a dark corner and watch what a bug does. Write how glowworms use light to lure prey.