Bioluminescent leakage throughout the body of the glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Adult female glow-worms, Lampyris noctiluca, Linnaeus, 1767, emit light from the abdominal ventrites 6 and 7 and a retained larval paired organ on segment 8. Both larvae and adult males exhibit a much smaller paired light organ in the penultimate segment. Using sensitive imaging techniques low level bioluminescence was observed within the light organ even when inactive and was also detected at discrete loci primarily localised at two posterolateral spots on each segment of the larvae. Dispersed light leakage was also detected in the adult male and female glow-worm. These findings indicate the presence of low level bioluminescence present throughout the body in all life stages of the glow-worm L. noctiluca suggesting a secondary role of luciferase within the glow-worm.