Central American Glowworm Beetle vs Long-winged Fungus Gnat

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Central American Glowworm Beetle Long-winged Fungus Gnat
Scientific Name Phengodes hidalgoensis Macrocera stigma
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Phengodidae Mycetophilidae
Size 10-15 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Mountains Woodlands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America, Mexico Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Central American Glowworm Beetle

A Mexican glowworm beetle with males possessing large feathery antennae and short elytra. The larviform females produce greenish-yellow bioluminescence from lateral light organs.

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Did You Know?

Phengodidae are found only in the New World, from southern Canada to South America, making them a uniquely American family.

Long-winged Fungus Gnat

A delicate fungus gnat with unusually long antennae and slender patterned wings. It is often found in shaded damp woodland where it hunts small insects.

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Did You Know?

Some Macrocera species have bioluminescent larvae, though less spectacularly than the cave glowworms.