Looking for Glow Worms on the Towans…..

Would you like to join us looking for glow worms on the Towans?

These almost magical creatures aren’t worms at all but actually a type of beetle.  Their ‘magical’ glow is a created by bioluminescence – light produced by living organisms from a chemical reaction. It’s the flightless adult females that do most of the glowing – producing a dim green light (a bit like a green indicator LED).  They use this glow to attract a flying male to mate with and once they’ve mated, they stop glowing.

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  Two glowing glow worms

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  Female glow worm

The Towans Glow Worm Survey

We’d love to find out more about these curious bioluminescent beetles – how widespread are they on the Towans and when are the highest numbers seen?  During the summer of 2026 we’re carrying out a glow worm survey on several sites on the Towans to try and answer these questions – Would you like to join us? Register here

We’ll be going out on the Towans after dark for about an hour once a week from June to early August.  We’ll be walking a set route recording any glowing females we see.  We’ll have an introductory training session and then meet for some group surveys.  Once surveyors are confident navigating their route they can team up with others and continue the survey independently.

To register your interest please complete this online form