Firefly Larvae are Venomous

[Anomalocaris]

Did you know that, before they romantically illuminate the night, fireflies start out as fierce hunters that track down otherwise protected animals and kill them with venom? Learn about the cutthroat life of firefly larvae.

I know it’s naive to assume that just because an animal is pretty, it’s actually benign—but somehow, I thought that firefly larvae were small, translucent aquatic creatures that survived on algae and the work of John Keats. And when they become adults, most fireflies eat pollen, but a few just stop eating and accept their ephemeral natures.

But now I know that they stalk the Earth like armored centipedes, hunting, killing, and devouring creates much bigger than themselves.

Firefly Larvae are Venomous and Pitiless Hunters