Waitomo Glowworm (Firefly) Caves (Waitomo, New Zealand)

Waitomo Glowworm Cave is a brilliant place underground.  This place is located in New Zealand.  English Glowworm means firefly.  As its name suggests, it is home to small creatures that glow like fireflies, making it a special place.  When we were young, we were wearing phosphor star-shaped stickers on the walls of the rooms and watching them glow in the dark at night.  This cave will take you to your childhood.

 Waitomo Glowworm Cave has a magnificent beauty!

 Small larvae named Glowworm have adopted this cave as their home.  These larvae that live in the black cave shine around to find food.  In fact, these little hosts here are called Arachnocampa Larvae.  These larvae rest on the small stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

 The reason for the irradiation of the larvae called Arachnocampa is the result of chemical reactions and the production of luciferin enzyme.  Glowworms, known as the most interesting insects living in the New Zealand region, love to live in damp and shady places.  Waitomo Glowworm Cave has a suitable environment for these small creatures.

 The cave is located in a very deep place.  After getting down with the help of ropes, small boats are boarded.  Thanks to these boats, you can navigate inside the cave.

 In fact, they are not mosquitoes, but fireflies!

 No matter how much fireflies are named, these larvae come from a fly species.  The larvae of these mosquitoes are formed under rainforests, ferns, in unused mines and caves.  These larvae form inside the silk nests hanging down from the pan.  These larvae hanging from the ceiling are located at a certain distance from each other.

 These larvae formed in New Zealand did not live anywhere else.  It is specific to this region.  These larvae are only 1 millimeter in diameter.  The name of the species that lives in New Zealand is arachnocampa luminosa.  The first stage of formation of this species is glowworm.  So this is time for larvae.  Chemicals in the larvae that interact with oxygen in the air provide light production.  Thanks to these lights, the larvae find food to feed themselves.

 The rope that the glowworms hang on is covered with a sticky substance.  Here with this item, their prey is being burned.  The period of larvae is for 9 months, just like the time that babies wait in the womb.  These magnificent larvae, which make the cave a fairy tale, turn into some scary insects afterwards.  They come out of the cocoon as a large mosquito.