Do glowworms grow up to be fireflies?

Answer 1

While the larvae of the Firefly are often referred to as "glow worms", and they do have a bio-luminescent quality similar to the adult, they are not actually glow worms, or rather, not "true" glow worms.

Many bio-luminescent insect larvae (not actually true worms at all) are now referred to as glow worms, including the larval firefly. In entomological circles, the "glow worm" usually refers to the Australian (and New Zealand) cave dwelling larvae of the fungus gnat. Fungus gnat larvae are found in grottoes, caves, and other sheltered places in Australia and New Zealand. They are very cool, in a sort of macabre way. They attach to the ceilings of caves and then hang "fishing lines", long-ish strands of silk and mucous that hang down (rather "spewtish" looking in fact, like an Aussie with a very bad head cold hawked a large luge on the ceiling). The "worms" then glow brightly, attracting a wide variety of prey, including small snails, mosquitoes, mayflies, even millipedes. They hang these silk and mucous threads, from 10 to as many as 70, and move up and down consuming any prey that disturbs these fishing lines. When the larvae mature in to adults, they are similar in size to mosquitoes and no longer have mouths, as their only purpose as adults is to reproduce during their 4 to 5 day lifespan. Unfortunately, there is rising concern among researchers that they will soon be an endangered species - owing to their popularity as tourist attractions.