Very few people are privy to all the mysteries that surround us. I was not only witness to one tonight, but managed to capture photos of it.

In my usual evening walk around the golf, course, I heard the familiar crack of fireworks, now familiar since hearing them from inside the house all evening. It made me feel like a reporter in Baghdad. Now, i turned to see the display, and immediate caught site of swiftly moving objects from the trees and the ground beneath the Independence Day light show. These “glow worms” began to appear closer to me, increasing in number each time the pop and bang of fireworks filled the sky. They were obviously being frightened by the noise.

Lightworms feed on grass and leaves, but their favorite delicacy is the occasional crunchy golf tee they find in the swards of green. They are night creatures, who need no flashlights, for they are their own illumination, much like the nearby fireflies. Most people don’t know that fireflies receive the substance that makes them glow from eating Lightworms.

A relative of the Glow worm, Lampyris noctiluca, found in the United Kingdom, the American species iscalled Phylum Annelida Luminaria. In the daytime, they appear as normal earthworms, but at night, their skins illuminate by a chemical reaction that activates photosynthesis cells which have stored up light energy in the form of photons during the day. They are indeed ecologically friendly, as they use solar energy to sustain themselves.

Once this bioluminescence is activated, they begin to jettison themselves from holes in the ground, usually with no more height than a grasshopper. But when frightened, adrenaline forces them out with three times the speed, and four times the trajectory height and distance.

There have been people injured by flying Lightworms, but most assume it was a June bug, and this is usually only reported on the 4th of July.

I feel privileged to have captured such a rare moment, and know that paranormal researchers everywhere will be seeking me out. But i will not tell them where the Lightworms live, as i feel it is their right to be left in peace. Once a year, they are scattered in fear, while Americans celebrate their independence day. I can only return the favor by allowing their freedom to exist in peace the other days of the year.

Be well, little LightWorms.