Where is the most magical cave on earth

Caves are usually associated with dark and uncomfortable underground spaces, devoid of light and life. It is cold and scary, I want to quickly go back to the warm sun and blue sky. But the Firefly Cave, which is located on the North Island in New Zealand, is an unusual exception to this rule. The ceiling and walls of this underground world are incredibly beautiful and resemble the streets of cities decorated with festive illumination. Once in this cave, you will not want to leave there, like the thousands of tourists who visit this wonderful place every year.

And this unforgettable light show is provided by small insects from the genus of mushroom mosquitoes called Arachnocampa luminosa, or rather their larvae. Thousands of tiny creatures live on the walls and ceiling of this cave. The larvae form sticky threads that hang from the ceiling and serve them for food. They feed on insects that have flown into the cave, and in order to lure the victim, these larvae glow in the dark.

The brightness of the glow, as scientists have found, directly depends on the degree of hunger: the hunger the larva, the more intense the light that it emits. When you touch them, the glow stops, and the fireflies become invisible. And a loud sound can scare insects so much that flicker disappears and complete darkness sets in.

But a number of researchers believe that hunger has nothing to do with it, and the larvae glow for another reason. It was found that they feed not only on flying insects, but also on spores of fungi, which there is no need to lure.

The firefly cave, where an unusual phenomenon is observed, is part of a complex of limestone caves called Waitomo and it is really unique. Stalactites and stalagmites, underground rivers and mysterious tunnels can be seen in other caves of the world, but you will not find wonderful lights anywhere else. After all, mushroom mosquitoes, whose larvae glow with a blue light, live only in New Zealand.

It is also interesting that part of the income from visiting this popular tourist site belongs to representatives of the indigenous Maori people. The thing is that in 1887, the leader of this tribe named Tane Tioranu took part in an expedition that discovered this amazingly beautiful place. And the government of New Zealand, after short battles, decided to transfer part of the income of the tourism business to the descendants of Tanya Tioran.