A comprehensive description of virtually every aspect of this magical insect’s life, including its structure, behaviour, evolution and ecology, its unusual feeding habits, how it defends itself and how (and why) it produces that amazingly bright light, all illustrated with colour images. We look at the threats that it faces and how you can discover glow-worms for yourself.

Contents
1. The Egg
2. The Larva
3. The Snail Hunter
4. The Menu
5. The Kill
6. The Meal
7. Having a Wash
8. A Change of Clothes
9. Growing Up
10. Going Walkabout
11. The Pupa
12. The Adult Female
13. The Adult Male
14. Boy Meets Girl
15. Motherhood
16. The Perils of Being a Glow-worm
17. Self-defence
18. The Glow-worm’s World
19. The Glow-worm’s Past
20. The Glow-worm’s Future
21. What Don’t We Know?
22. Glow-worm Watching

Reviews

John Tyler’s book provides a comprehensive account of all stages in the life of the glow worm, from egg to adult, weaving together information from fundamental natural history observation with cutting-edge science in a highly accessible format.

No-one is better equipped than the author to impart the magic and wonder of these delicate insects at the same time as sounding the alarm about their decline as the British countryside becomes less and less hospitable for them.

Alan Stewart, Emeritus Professor, University of Sussex and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society

John Tyler’s work on glow-worms has inspired generations of naturalists and researchers. This greatly expanded new edition is a landmark synthesis of decades of observation and discovery, revealing the extraordinary life cycle of Lampyris noctiluca from egg to adult.

Combining meticulous natural history with engaging storytelling, it is both a scientific milestone and a deeply engaging celebration of one of Europe’s most enchanting insects.

Dr Raphaël De Cock, Associate Firefly Researcher, University of Antwerp

John Tyler’s The Glow-worm is a must-have book for anyone who appreciates the never-ending magic and mystery of nature.

The unique photos and vast knowledge offered is applicable across the firefly and insect and kingdom of all living things. Tyler draws on decades of his own research and that of many others and provides the reader with detailed references to dig even deeper.

Lynn Faust, author of Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs; Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada

You can order the book through your local bookshop (ISBN 9781784276447) or from Pelagic

Price £29.99 plus p&p.

Also available as an e-book from Pelagic.