THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



All communications and remittances should be addressed to the Secretary- 

 Treasurer of the Entomological Society of Canada — ''The Rev. C. J. S. 

 Kethune, Credit, Ontario, Canada." 



A LUMINOUS LARVA. 



BY THE REV. C. J. S. BETHUNE, M.A. 



On the 5th of July, a friend brought me a very remarkable Larva that he 

 found in a field the previous evening, and which had attracted his attention 

 by the light it emitted. When alive it was about an inch an a half in length, 

 and 0.25 inch in width across the middle, its general appearance being long 

 and narrow ; it is flattened above, and composed of twelve segments (exclusive 

 of the head); each segment is broad and cut squarely, and overlaps the follow- 

 ing one, the posterior angles being a little acute; the anterior segment is 

 gradually narrowed in front and reetilibeally truncate, forming a shield to the 

 head which is retractile within it ; each of the first three segments has a pair 

 of claw-like legs attached to it beneath. The general colour of the insect was 

 a dark drab, the posterior angles of each segment, the softer connecting 

 portion between the segments, and the under side of the body being very 

 much paler, and of a somewhat dirty yellow hue; on each side there is a deeply 

 impressed line in which the spiracles are situated. When seen in the dark 

 the insect presented a very beautiful appearance, being apparently ringed 

 and dotted with greenish fire. Each spiracle appeared to be a point of 

 bright greenish light, and the division between each segment a line of 

 the same colour; it looked, indeed, as if the whole insect were filled 

 with fire, which shone out wherever it was not concealed by the dark 

 shelly integument. When coiled up on its side it looked like a lovely 

 Ammonite whose striae emitted green light, and with a point of green fire 

 in each interspace. 



The morning after receiving the insect, I left home in order to attend the 

 Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society at London, where the specimen 

 attracted much attention; unfortunately I was unable to find out its proper 

 food, (which I now fancy must have been snails and slugs), and when I 

 reached home, ten days afterwards, the worm, to my great regret, was dead, 

 and I have failed in rearing it. On comparing, however, Westwood's description 

 and figure of the larva of the English Glow-worm (^Lampyris noctiluca), I 

 cannot but think that my specimen is a closely allied species, and belongs at 

 any rate to the family Lampyridae. At the London Meeting it was mentioned 

 that a similar luminous larva had been captured in that neighbourhood some 

 years ago, but that nothing had been determined respecting it. 



