Arachnocampa flava
Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Diptera
- Family: Keroplatidae
- Genus: Arachnocampa
- Species: Arachnocampa flava
Visual Description
Arachnocampa flava is a species of fungus gnat within the family Keroplatidae. Based on observations from the TreeOfLife-200M dataset, the larvae exhibit a characteristic elongated, soft-bodied form typical of the genus.[1] They are often observed in association with silk threads, which they produce to form snares for prey. The body coloration is generally pale or translucent, allowing for the visibility of internal structures.[1]
Biology and Bioluminescence
Arachnocampa flava belongs to a genus well-known for its bioluminescent larvae. While much of the research on Arachnocampa bioluminescence has focused on the related species Arachnocampa luminosa, the genus as a whole is characterized by the production of blue-green light.[2] This bioluminescence is generated through a luciferin-luciferase reaction, which in Arachnocampa involves a luciferase enzyme belonging to the ANL superfamily of adenylating enzymes.[2] The light is emitted from a specialized organ derived from modified Malpighian tubules located at the posterior end of the larva.[2]
Distribution and Habitat
Arachnocampa flava is a species of fungus gnat found in Australia.[3] Like other members of the genus, it is typically associated with moist, sheltered environments such as caves, overhangs, and damp forest habitats where it can construct its silk snares.[4]
Gallery
References
- 1 2 3 Dataset view for Animalia / Arthropoda / Insecta / Diptera / Keroplatidae / Arachnocampa / flava constructed from imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M records under this taxonomic path. Hugging Face Datasets. https://huggingface.co/datasets/imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M.
- 1 2 3 Oliver C. Watkins; Miriam L. Sharpe; Nigel B. Perry; Kurt L. Krause. New Zealand glowworm (Arachnocampa luminosa) bioluminescence is produced by a firefly-like luciferase but an entirely new luciferin. Scientific Reports. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21298-w.
- ↑ Arachnocampa. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnocampa_flava. Accessed 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Arachnocampa flava Harrison, 1966. GBIF. https://www.gbif.org/species/1564328. Accessed 2026-07-15.