Emas National Park - the territory of glowing mounds (9 photos + 1 video)

This place could be called mystical – it looks so mesmerizing. But in reality, there is a practical explanation for the mounds glowing in the dark.





The click beetle family Pyrearinus termitilluminans thrives all over the world, building sprawling nests and occasionally damaging local lumber supplies. In Brazil, they build tall towers of cement-like earth. This South American species of beetle from the Elateridae family is interesting and unique in its kind. Both the imago and its larvae have the ability to bioluminesce.



The lifestyle of predatory larvae is interesting. Living in abandoned termite mounds in large groups, they use their physiological ability to glow to attract food. During warm and humid nights, the larvae glow en masse, illuminating the entire termite mound. This phenomenon can be observed mainly in the warm season.





Adults have a pair of yellow fluorescent oval bubbles on their chest and a fluorescent organ on their abdomen. It can only emit light during flight. It is possible that the glow is needed to attract a mate.



These unique termite mounds can grow to impressive sizes: their diameter reaches 30 meters, and the height - 7 meters or more. They serve not only as a home, but also as a dining room for hundreds of glowing beetle larvae. At night, the termite mounds look as if they are wrapped in Christmas lights.



While adults feed on plants, juveniles are carnivorous, and their light serves as a lure. Unsuspecting insects make their way to the pretty lights, only to be devoured by the voracious larvae. And yes, termites are their favorite food. In fact, the larval growth cycle is timed to coincide with the termite migrations, and many of them meet their end in the powerful jaws of their inhospitable hosts.



A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Emas National Park is a wonderland of waterfalls, mountains, and savannah. It is home to maned wolves, rheas (large ostrich-like birds), tapirs, toucans, and jaguars. While each of them is worth a visit to the park, the most fascinating nighttime attraction is the series of glowing termite mounds.