Introduction about the German glow-worm survey

By René Spierling

A mostly internet-based survey attempt for members of the lampyridae in Germany has been carried out since the year 2000. At the end of the year 2006 there were 153 reports collected (most of them after 2004).

By augmenting the obtained data with information from other sources it can be generalized that the three species Lamprohiza splendidula, Lampyris noctiluca and Phosphaenus hemipterus occur in all of the "Bundesländer"/federal countries (maybe except the three city states) of Germany after 1950 and a few "rediscoveries" happened.

For Lamprohiza splendidula there are recent reports from 2006 or 2007 for nearly all of the "Bundesländer"/federal countries and it is this rather conspicuous species that has been reported by far the most.

For Lampyris noctiluca there are recent reports after 1999 for nearly all of the "Bundesländer"/federal countries.

Phosphaenus hemipterus has not been reported in this survey attempt up to now (summer 2007).
Improvements (like a finer spacial resolution) of this survey attempt are clearly necessary.