Glowworm is any member of various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include the European common glow-worm and other members of the Lampyridae, but bioluminescence also occurs in the families Elateridae, Phengodidae and Rhagophthalmidae among beetles; as well as members of the genera Arachnocampa, Keroplatus and Orfelia among keroplatid fungus gnats.
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Rhagophthalmidae in the context of Firefly luciferin
Firefly luciferin (also known as beetle luciferin) is the luciferin, precursor of the light-emitting compound, used for the firefly (Lampyridae), railroad worm (Phengodidae), starworm (Rhagophthalmidae), and click-beetle (Pyrophorini) bioluminescent systems. It is the substrate of firefly luciferase (EC 1.13.12.7), which is responsible for the characteristic light emission of many firefly and other insect species in the visible spectra ranging from 530 until 630 nm.
As with other luciferins, oxygen is essential for the luminescence mechanism, which involves the decomposition of a cyclic peroxide to produce excited-state molecules capable of emitting light as they relax to the ground state. Additionally, it has been found that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and magnesium are required for light emission.