These Carnivorous Worms Catch Bugs by Mimicking the Night Sky | Deep Look

The glow worm colonies of New Zealand's Waitomo Caves imitate stars to confuse flying insects, then trap them in sticky snares and eat them alive.
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DEEP LOOK is science up close - really, really close. An ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Get a new perspective on our place in the universe and meet extraordinary new friends. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.
Like fireflies, the spectacular worms of New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves glow by breaking down a light-emitting protein. But unlike the yellow mating flashes of fireflies, the glow worms’ steady blue light has a more insidious purpose: it’s bait.
The strategy is simple. Many of the glow worms’ prey are insects, including moths, that navigate by starlight. With imposter stars all around, the insects become disoriented and fly into a waiting snare. Once the victim has exhausted itself trying to get free, the glow worm reels in the catch.
The prey is typically still alive when it arrives at the glow worm’s mouth, which has teeth sharp enough to bore through insect exoskeletons.
Glow worms live in colonies, and researchers have noticed that individual worms seem to sync their lights to the members of their colony, brightening and dimming on a 24-hour cycle. There can be several colonies of glow worms in a cave, and studies have shown that different colonies are on different cycles, taking turns at peak illumination, when they’re most attractive to prey.
Not surprisingly, the worms glow brighter when they’re hungry.
--- How do glow worms glow?
Their light is the result of a chemical reaction. The worms break down a protein called luciferin using an enzyme, luciferase, in a specialized section of their digestive tract. The glow shines through their translucent skin.
--- Why do glow worms live in caves?
The glow worms need to be in a dark environment where their light can be seen. Caves also shelter them from the wind, which can tangle their dangling snares.
--- Where can I see glow worms?
The Waitomo Caves are on New Zealand’s North Island. Other New Zealand glow worm sites include the Te Anau caves, Lake Rotoiti, Paparoa National Park, and Waipu. A related species inhabits similar caves in eastern Australia.
---+ Read the entire article on KQED Science:
ww2.kqed.org/science/2016/06/28/these-carnivorous-worms-catch-bugs-by-mimicking-the-night-sky/
---+ For more information:
Discover Waitomo: www.waitomo.com/
---+ More Great Deep Look episodes:
Winter is Coming For These Argentine Ant Invaders
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The Bombardier Beetle And Its Crazy Chemical Cannon
kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIjamH-Jatl-bpI
---+ See some great videos and documentaries from the PBS Digital Studios!
It's Okay to Be Smart: Are You Smarter Than A Slime Mold?
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Gross Science: Hookworms and the Myth of the "Lazy Southerner"
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---+ About KQED
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Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, which is also supported by HopeLab, the David B. Gold Foundation, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Smart Family Foundation and the members of KQED.
#deeplook

[@daydaydi]

I'm supposed to focus on homework, but this channel is just so fascinating.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Sorry about that.

[@menothras]

Amazing work. I've found a new passion on KZbin since I found such great quality KZbin channels about nature and animals such as this one. Footage and production are just incredible.

[@silassmith3339]

Deep Look Amy your voice is amazing 😳😶

[@NoName-rr8sq]

Dian A thats true i keep playing their videos thats why im still not done on my homeworks

[@elliethegachatuber1335]

RofieEzekiel Espaldon :p

[@mancheaseskrelpher8419]

Their beauty only makes them scarier.

[@vaniaramadhani3890]

so basically like a spider net, but cooler?

[@marnwng]

and "look! no hands"

[@balloonytf2]

they are the barnacles from half life 2

[@pyrrehraus6571]

Blast The Flip the barnacles from half life 2 are them

[@yunhin9631]

Actually there larva who will grow up into what looks like an insect that looks like a mosquito but doesn't drink blood

[@draculeeta]

OMG KAI

[@philliple123]

The 6 dislikes were probably the moths that got eaten by glowing worms.

[@adryh6447]

John Smith Still 6 dislikes in 3 months lol

[@littenarmy8513]

It's 7 now

[@RedRoy73]

its 12 currently

[@Brick9]

Roy Sjolander 15 now

[@ittybittybendy9670]

John Smith they just keep on eating (19)

[@fatbeardie5353]

This channel teaches me more in 3 minutes than the discovery channel has done in my 26 years of being alive

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thanks for watching!

[@bundukiyababako4383]

Don't underrate that channel it's more worth

[@ferozhossain3401]

Thats not true. Discovery channel was awesome too. Learnt a lot. They could easily be the inspiration for this channel's inception.

[@ilkeryoldas]

Bioluminescence is amazing

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Indeed!

[@DRUMCANJONES22]

I agree!

[@speaker3035]

Same!

[@strawberrybannajams]

Looks amazing and one of my favorite words too!

[@guygarcia139]

Such a calm voice, it fit the narration so well

[@astaa4474]

i am in love with your voice

[@babbalgts]

me too!....

[@generationfallout5189]

Yea it's amazing

[@amystanden]

Hey thanks!! Glad you like it.

[@TheTtmx]

Thanks for doing these for us ^_^ Your voice is truely spectacular. Soothing and calm :)

[@softsound9154]

same

[@angelisfpv]

Omg I've been there in person. It's unforgettable!

[@StarryNightGazing]

Michael Marangelis me too!

[@destinycrosby7183]

Michael Marangelis ikr

[@basedaudio1]

It's beautiful looking

[@nuri2318]

so do they feed on people too??!!😦because i have been wishing to go there too...

[@mushnoodle]

Yes they eat all the tourists that are not being careful. camerabags and everything.

[@Upsidedownorangejuice]

I use to live in Waitomo (and yes Im an caver as well) as kid. you guys did fantastic job of explaining it. these don't just form caves the also form on sheltered banks and rock outcrops deep in the shelter of thick Waitomo bush.

[@fungus7043]

and round the rest of NZ

[@glenbe4026]

​When I was camping in the Urewera's (as part of a school camp), there was a lot of them in the overhangs of ditches or stream banks.

[@poosaypieandsquirt3666]

same, I visited a rainforest in Australia where I live and it's not just the caves where you can find the larvae

[@elliottewildlife4009]

fyi in 2:51 that isn't a moth but a kind of planthopper from the gamily Ricaniidae.

[@sallyhsuu]

I live in New Zealand, I've seen glow worms but in this video they make it look way better.

[@DeanaLiu]

Sally Hsu yea ikr

[@wawan8759]

@@crochethooksandbooks she dead

[@musclebunny7665]

I've went to visit the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand last year, and it's really a sight that I'll never forget 👍 We rode on a boat and the lady guided us through the caves, blue lights clustered together all over the walls and it's so beautiful

[@nesobre]

with that voice you can work for Disney!

[@amystanden]

I'll tell them you said so!

[@nesobre]

thx

[@zotackshinta2057]

no disney sucks

[@nesobre]

+Zotack Shinta good pay

[@TerrariaGolem]

Then get underpaid and hired to steal ideas with an army of lawyers

[@cla693]

What is this? Half life?

[@LemonsRage]

scrolled too far for this xD

[@captainconcernedsr.5360]

WolfaDOX I was hoping someone else made the connection

[@vanhao8993]

this will be featured in half life 3

[@rollwulf]

REAL Life

[@Yuuni_Shiroza]

real life 3

[@yasiryonus2114]

Amazing, these 3 minutes felt like an hour of beautiful glittery and scary trip to the planetarium. Keep up.

[@dexgod7633]

Reminds me of the barnacle from half life

[@CYPHERWasHere]

Yes same!

[@argoniek6801]

I actually searched for the glow worm beacuse the barnacles were compared to them on Half Life wiki x)

[@krizzly143]

I always feel so uncomfortable thinking how much these animals have to suffer. Caught in a spider web or this... Being eaten alive... I shudder thinking of it. Awesome videos on this channel! So well made and interesting! Can't stop watching them :)

[@marcfisk7730]

Apparently insects don't suffer in the same way that you and I think of it. They react to being attacked and will try to escape but they do not feel pain and suffer in the same way as humans and other mammals.

[@CBDToTheRescue]

Wait, so can't the larvae also trap adult ones ?

[@haveiszalfaroqie1628]

Mama _Arachnocampa_ : Oh look, shiny things! *flies into the light *trapped on a slimy snares Mama _Arachnocampa_ : Right... these are traps for my cannibal young-self.

[@extraordinaaron]

i saw these in person. its pretty sweet

[@boy638]

Wow how did you film those timelapse? Would love to see a behind the scenes! I wonder if they really glow so brightly or it's due to the longer exposure of the camera.

[@destinycrosby7183]

boy638 they do

[@u.a.nugroho]

This prove that they're creation of God, not a product of evolution since they didn't ever see the night.

[@yxlotl]

@@u.a.nugroho you know that two things can look related, but not be at all, right?

[@_Molecule]

@@u.a.nugroho these are larva, so the "mother" nat did see the night

[@American-Plague]

@@u.a.nugroho No. This is only proof that you have no idea how anything works so you just invoke the name of God as an answer.

[@Rusmix]

i like stuff that glows

[@rockspoon6528]

And it likes you back... As a meal.

[@SachinJani]

Sketchers.

[@ahmaddzaky94]

I gotta exam after tomorrow but this channel is too amazing to be ignored.. I keep watching the next videos.. Good Job..

[@KQEDDeepLook]

I hope you did well on your exams.

[@Strategyse2]

so, how was that test?

[@alaapsarkar]

I'm scared of your spider videos but your videos are one of the best on youtube

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thank you!

[@spectrumbreak9778]

ALAAP SARKAR these aren't spiders their worms...

[@DoeboyFreshNESS]

New Zealand has all the cool native species.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Gotta love island ecologies.

[@DoeboyFreshNESS]

+Deep Look Madagascar, Galpagos, Australia...Is it because they have had less human interaction?

[@00semi00]

+DoeboyFreshNESS I also think it's because they are so isolated from other animals and a population evolves by itself to suit it's needs and survive. You know, Darwin's Theory of Evolution and Natural Selection.

[@DoeboyFreshNESS]

+Sejuty Minhaj yea thats true, so they are animals that havent really ever needed to evolve i guess...pretty cool, but it is.so strange how these worms know the day night cycle when they dont know anything of it.

[@00semi00]

+DoeboyFreshNESS Agreed. Agreed. I wonder if they're doing research on why that is so too. It would be amazing to know how they do it.

[@TheSweetestCurse]

I love how nature manages to be so beautiful and amazing yet so terrifying and disgusting

[@DistinguishedCanuck]

All I can say is....amazing......... Just amazing... I love nature I did before but this Chanel made me love it more.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Awesome!

[@keiholic]

Imagine if the adult version of the gloworm gets trapped in the silk and the larva eats it

[@agel2435]

HOW IS THIS CHANNEL NOT AIRING ON TV??? It's too good!!!

[@evilpandakillabzonattkoccu4879]

They remind me of the glowing parasites in the game Limbo. 0.o

[@ethanswales1899]

and those things in half life lol

[@justastrider3252]

@@ethanswales1899 finaly someone who also said that!

[@evilmochinicesushi]

I thought the title said “These Coronavirus Worms Catch Bugs By Mimicking The Night Sky”

[@hippiegirlhippiegirl9199]

That's how I came here lol 😂

[@electracatforever3356]

GLOWWORMS. they literally came out of a fantasy novel. i love them.

[@Regina-yk5ne]

imagine being the first person to discover these glow worms

[@evam2351]

Got moth problems? Apparently bugs can't see LEDs.

[@SyedAli-kr6qw]

I read the title 'Coronavirus worms...'😑

[@mandaym9319]

Omg I didn't even relize it were its a playlist I didn't look at the name!! Freaky!!! Nice catch and if I had seen that I would have thought it's a new mutation or some $#!+.

[@narutoninjastorm1]

This is soooo much better than how most "shows" portray the silently malevolent side of nature. Had a look at "Bug Wars" for a quick laugh, they were using tiger and chimpanzee noises for a confrontation between a scorpion and green ants. Deep Look gets that nature is amazing with a deadly beauty all on its own, with no need for embellishment to show it.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

What a nice compliment! Thanks for watching!

[@mythicdoyenne2385]

I know a lot about bugs, but I never seen or heard of a bug as amazing as this one. WOW,I LOVE BUGS

[@Kid82fy]

0:13 my ceiling

[@religionbuster7180]

in the midst of current pandemic, i read it as coronavirus bugs

[@ximecreature]

Honestly, and after hours of binge-watching documentaries, yours are among the very best. (and i mean all of your videos). Amazing quality in every single way, from the scenes, to the narratives, from the scenario chosen to the cold truth of nature. So little, yet so extraordinary... Really huge thanks for the marvel you bring every time, and congratulations for the work so far ! You got a really good team there ! Much hugs from belgium

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thank you so much for the nice compliments!

[@akosidaryochannel1700]

Am I the only one who misread carnivorous as coronavirus?

[@snowmystique2308]

Angler Fish of the insect world?

[@reem_maz]

Please don't stop introducing the beauty of the world to us .. Thank you

[@The-Randomizer-No-1]

I am 38 years and I saw this for the first time in my life. Never knew that something like this ever existed

[@morechi100]

I love the narration of this episode! Such vivid language. Well scripted!

[@Sahgee]

Like.... I just came to KZbin to find some study music. How'd I get here 😭

[@NediaLetta]

The name of the worms reminds me of Harry Potter's Winguardium Leviosa xD

[@popanollie1]

you know you been in lock down too long when you read the title as coronavirus worms

[@ahmadramadan1374]

you guys are awesome! I just wish you made videos more frequently. There are a lot of things out there that need a Deep Look treatment!

[@xiaojiang12325]

When you think about it moths have such a hard time so many imposter stars and is at the bottom of the food chain

[@kimbratton7054]

what an illuminating video!!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

I see what you did there.

[@kimbratton7054]

+Deep Look right you are!

[@justastrider3252]

Budum Tiss

[@HEARD201]

Wish this woman was around to tell me bed time stories when i was younger

[@tsholofelohlakuva6681]

These lights are actually quite beautiful

[@LukeHenderson123]

Deep look never fail to impress me.

[@LemonadeMouthSomebod]

Damn, nature sure likes to feed on things while they're still alive

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Nature red in tooth and claw.

[@aqrifyln6719]

Some animals are repulsed by non-moving prey no matter how "fresh" they appear to be or actually are. That's why playing possum works. Some aquarium fish are also really picky about their food.

[@blazeytown4444]

And vegans say us humans are inhumane

[@aqrifyln6719]

My Body Is Ready "And vegans say us humans are inhumane" I'm just quoting this, to laugh at later.

[@rickardreyes9797]

You guys never cease to amaze me! There are so much wonders that i get to see thanks to you.

[@InDstructR]

I live in nz, and I have seen these glow worms, but I never knew they were so interesting, and carnivorous? I am amazed.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thanks!

[@DanKillam]

reminds me of the ceiling traps in half life

[@Mateoski97]

Barnacles.

[@user-deleted]

thanks again for another top quality vid. sadly deeplook vids r not showing up in my sub feed anymore. youtube algorithms strike again

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Crikey! We hope the latest one did?

[@user-deleted]

found the latest vid in my feed this time. I seemed to have missed out on the last 3 or so before then. I wonder if its showing up again based on the fact that I watched some of this channel again recently. I think that they use an algorithm to show me a set number of vids from my subbed channels everyday bec i have 165 subed channels at the moment and they don't think i can handle sifting through all the uploaded content every day.

[@nykidxxx]

Steven c - yea you probably have a lot of channels that spam content out of those 165 so KZbin does help with that. Personally I only have like 20 channels subscribed

[@DenkSchuldt]

This is amazing. Just imagine all those species we haven't documented about, yet. Nice video, great production.

[@Weird-City]

You guys are amazing. I loved watching the little underwater sea-fly creatures that used their tape-mouths to create an armour for their soft abdomens...lol. It's funny but your videos have actually made me find insects kind of cute.

[@orawal]

This is one of the most EPIC videos online! Wow, science fantasia!!! I would hit subscribe like every vid of deep look, sadly... ive subscribed a long long time ago :)

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thanks!

[@ZekeBuf]

1k likes and 1 dislike , finally some unarguably good content

[@phllynice]

Me : watches deep look Mom : THE INTERNET *DOESN’T* HELP YOU LEARN Me : this is a learning channel-

[@vfxlord]

the photography is just amazingly beautiful! I love this channel!

[@thrivfty9601]

What it says: *carnivorous worms* What i see: *coronavirus woms*

[@pushkartiwari9492]

Am I the only one who read "carnivorous" as "Coronavirus"!??

[@thotieprincess7190]

me !

[@FishTail33]

I kinda knew it was the glow worms in New Zealand's Waitomo Caves before watching the whole thing! Yay!

[@pixelcrow_]

I went to see some glow worms when I was 10 at a school camp. They were gorgeous. I remember walking down a dark path one by one with all the other students with our torches. We were all giggling and chatting to the teachers a d parents annoyance but when we all saw what was inside the cave, we all kinda just... stopped talking. It was incredible. Half of us thought they were fake. We were making theories that they had just hung up a blanket and poked holes in it to let light through. I'll never forget that night

[@flodusishigh6607]

This is so creepy and fascinating

[@thirushan]

this is one of my all time best of youtube channels. - Student of Biology

[@mariamachuca3993]

Nothing Same.

[@tiffitaffi]

Thanks for an informative description box as well!

[@zafreteekevskeysvenskeren6299]

amys beautiful voice is the reason why i was watching this.

[@Mike_Jones281]

...Get God on the phone, immediately!

[@MarqueseScottNonStop]

#Deeplook make a video on the unique species if dragonflies!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

That's a great suggestion - thanks!

[@kk_tran]

i thought i watched all of the deep look videos but im so happy that i found some that i haven’t, i missed deep look sm😩 fav channel

[@prummer7720]

The insect the bug catches, doesnt become tired, but becomes paralyzed from the gloworms spit. This is a great documentry though!!

[@ItsJJOLO]

My only fear is if all of them would just fall down! _yikes_

[@HF-tg6dy]

funny JOLOXx yeah

[@ItsJJOLO]

Snoop Dogg *IT BE RAINING WORMS!*

[@Antidote4369]

ew, cant imagine

[@coconut1994]

I taught i read coronavirus worm

[@alexissolivass8257]

this is an absolutely amazing channel. i love learning about all the odd things about nature. absolutely stunning

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thanks, Alexis!

[@cayelisondra3390]

Love this episode! Havent seen alot about glow worms on youtube. Keep it up and be unique!

[@wutdahaiiiil]

How do the worms eat their prey? Do they have teeth?

[@DarkMinerxD]

Who else read the title as Coronavirus?

[@buttercupkat]

Moths probably get confused when they wander into a human-populated area since there are lights EVERYWHERE.

[@jithunder827]

fascinating! this is the first time I've seen and heard of this creatures. and their blue light is awesome!

[@VerkesThiago]

2:15 Half life 2

[@omar47hitman]

stop watching Deep Look , and do your homework

[@SvenEnterlein]

Never heard of this before. Very interesting! Nature works in mysterious ways...

[@sergiomendiola4611]

Stellar videos. Truly brings out the beauty of life and the complexity of evolution.

[@neilswiger8066]

...gross...

[@danielmcgee3845]

...awesome....

[@6dirt]

...cool...

[@Jo-chilin]

... interesting...

[@unclekanethetiberiummain1994]

...shiny..

[@lydialiu9427]

...Wormy...

[@C.C.N]

Omg I Love the View Always wanted to see glowing caves so I searched for this and Its beautiful! Great work! Keep it Up!

[@smkyqrtz]

Spiders: *ima end this worms whole career*

[@khaledh9410]

Now I'm afraid of walking under the chandelier in my parents home.. I think I have a chandelier phobia!! 😂😂😂

[@Anintora]

This is a tragically beautiful sight.

[@ninabean4857]

can we say,,,,FREAKIN AMAZING!!!!! wow never even heard of these glow worms!

[@AranyaSen]

Glow worms are found in Te Anau caves in South Island of New Zealand as well. Had the opportunity of witnessing it - magical and mesmerizing!

[@MelissaWoodburn]

Very cool. I'd forgotten that I had this cave in New Zealand a long time ago.

[@nekoneko36]

Wow....I mean just wow DEEP LOOK just got me hooked up

[@stopbenedict2310]

Been there so many times and it's as amazing as the first time going to waitimo caves

[@nadezhdakeniya1528]

they are so cool right? I live on the south island of New Zealand and you can practically find them anywhere in nature! Especially in forest that grow around cliffs.

[@Itsreekoh]

Just the fact that they make light is just amazing .