Family Rhagophthalmidae – Contains around 30 species found in Asia.

This family also includes railroad worms, which are unique among all terrestrial bioluminescent organisms in producing red light. Contains around 230 species endemic to the New World.

Family Phengodidae – Usually known as glowworm beetles.

Contains around 2,000 species found throughout the world. All of them are members of the subfamily Pyrophorinae, except for one species, Campyloxenus pyrothorax, which belongs to subfamily Campyloxeninae, and Balgus schnusei, in Thylacosterninae. Of the estimated 10,000 species classified under this family, around 200 species from tropical regions of the Americas and some Melanesian islands are bioluminescent.

Family Elateridae – The click beetles.

Phylogenetic analyses have indicated that bioluminescence may have a single evolutionary origin among the families Lampyridae, Phengodidae, and Rhagophthalmidae but is likely to have arisen independently among Elateridae. The families are closely related, and are all members of the beetle superfamily, Elateroidea. Their light may be emitted as flashes or as a constant glow, and usually range in colour from green, yellow, to orange. Winged males may or may not also exhibit bioluminescence. The wingless larviform females and larvae of these bioluminescent species are usually known as 'glowworms'. 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.įour families of beetles are bioluminescent. Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. For other uses, see Glowworm (disambiguation).

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