Deep in the limestone caves of New Zealand rest colonies of glow worms that emit a blue-green light strong enough to illuminate the caves they live in.
These wonderful yet strange creatures are called arachnocampa luminosa. They're native to a northern part of the country called North Island.
Auckland photographer Joseph Michael documented the awe-striking creatures, which live in caves said to be as ancient as 30 million years old, by spending countless hours in the caves' ice-cold water.
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Glowworms are actually the larvae of the fungus gnat, a type of fly that resembles a mosquito.
The glowworms are found only in New Zealand and eastern Australia. The Australian worms have smaller lights and tend to stay in smaller groups.
The first part of the species' name, Arachnocampa, means "spider worm," and refers to the web of silk threads the worms use to snatch their prey.
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