The glowing larvas of the headlight beetle (Pyrophorus nyctophanus) is such a little known annual display in Oct/Nov in some of the forests bordering the Cerrado in Brazil and Bolivia. Each light is a beetle larva attracting prey with its light. This species specializes on termite mounds.
Alongside the paths leading deep into the amazonian forest from the library and dining area of Cristalino Jungle Lodge you’ll see a termite mound here and there. Many are damaged by armadillos, and thus vacant.
My interest is in bioluminescence and thus the dark hours, and dark it is deep in the jungle! No moonlight. Even a single larva stands out in the darkness, but when they are in the tens or even hundreds you can see it from quite a distance as was the case with this mound.
Here you can see the actual mound.
I found several smaller mounds, but none with so many lights as the first one:
Another species found in the Brazilian Cerrado is Pyrearinus termitilluminans, but I’ve got no ID to confirm if this species is also present here or not.
Last updated on 8 November 2024
