Glow-worm numbers!!! please help

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   I've also seen some in Essex near Colchester, only adult females though.
Sorry I've misunderstood your post I think Jon, are you measuring the pronotum of the larva to find sex ratios?

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
Paramesotriton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote Paramesotriton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2006 at 4:13am
	I've also seen some in Essex near Colchester, only adult females though. Sorry I've misunderstood your post I think Jon, are you measuring the pronotum of the larva to find sex ratios?

herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2006 at 11:42am
	Yep Jon

herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2006 at 11:54am
	The larger the pronotum the most likely it will be a female - therefore you get the age class 1st, 2nd and 3rd years it seems a good spilt between the two sizes may relate to the sexes of the larva - hence sex ratio of capture animals I also collected around 15 larva and I reared them on in a tank - they laid eggs and I actually got quite a few eggs - and reared on the larva for release at the site wher ethey were collected. Heres is a white larva - just hatched (above) placed on a penny Here is a normal coloured larva - placed on a 5pence piece I have an account of all the larva captured but I havent got the info to hand - I will ge tthis together and show you the results Regards Jon

Mick Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 184	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mick Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2006 at 1:11pm
	Yeh, that 2nd pic's like the one i encountered at that BBONT reserve. At first glance i thought it kind've resembled a bigger, plainish Ladybird larva, but that's me!

herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Mar 2006 at 12:14pm
	Here are some pronotum measurements from a population of glowworms in Berkshire. The 20 larva which measure over 3mm (width of pronotum) are more likely to be female while the 2mm are possibly males or larva in their second year - the 1 to 1.5mm are in their first year. These were all relocated from a works area last year into adjacent habitat - all larva were found under roofing felt tiles

herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Mar 2006 at 12:18pm
	As shown in following picture

Vicar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1184	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vicar Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Mar 2006 at 1:30pm
	Is this one Jon ? Didn't know what it was, so took a picture. Under a tin at Pirbright, Surrey last weekend.
	Steve Langham - Chairman Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group

herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Mar 2006 at 5:53pm
	Yep thats a glowworm larva alright Jon

SNAKE Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 16 May 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 226	Post Options Post Reply Quote SNAKE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Mar 2006 at 7:05pm
	i saw 8 glow worms 2 years ago & a few males near a golf course near denham

Suzi Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1025	Post Options Post Reply Quote Suzi Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Mar 2006 at 5:14am
	I have done summer surveys for glow worms for 10 years now. There are a few academics who study them and I forward my results to them and the RSPB who manage the heaths. They seem to have a few things in common with reptiles. Their requirements of habitat often match up with those of adders and lizards and like adders what would seem a good place in our eyes is not seen that way by glow worms. The other factor is once lost to an area they can only move back under their own steam - no flying or blowing on the wind. The males fly but not the larvae or females. They do have boom and bust years which again are hard to evaluate. The repercussions of weather and drought are not felt immediately due to the lifecycle of the glow worm so this also makes it hard. On one of the heaths I survey the distribution of the glow worms more or less exactly matches that of the adders found there. There is an excellent website on UK Glow worms and articles are included showing which councils are sympathetic to their plight.
	Suz