At first it was thought to be related to the European glowworm beetle (Lampyris noctiluca) but, in 1886, a Christchurch teacher showed it was a larva of a gnat, not a beetle.
Ó principio pensouse que podería estar relacionada co Lampyris noctiluca europeo, pero en 1886, un profesor de Christchurch demostrou que era un cínfano, non un escaravello.