Railroad Worm

Railroad worms are the only land animals that produce red light through bioluminescence. Their bodies display rows of green lights along the sides—resembling illuminated train cars—while the head glows red. This dual-color system is biochemically remarkable: most bioluminescence produces blue or green light; red requires different chemistry that railroad worms have uniquely evolved. The colors serve different functions: green for communication and defense, red potentially for illuminating prey without alerting them (many insects cannot see red light).

The red light may function as a covert hunting tool. Termites, the railroad worm's primary prey, lack red-light receptors. The railroad worm can illuminate its hunting ground invisibly to its targets—biological night-vision goggles that prey cannot detect. The green lights, by contrast, are warning signals to predators indicating toxicity or unpalatability.

Railroad worms are actually beetle larvae (related to fireflies, despite the 'worm' name) that retain their larval form and bioluminescence through adulthood in females. Males develop into typical beetle form and lose their lights. This neoteny—retention of juvenile characteristics—represents an alternative developmental strategy. The business parallel illuminates covert versus overt signaling. Railroad worms use one signal set for deterrence (green, visible) and another for hunting (red, invisible to prey). Organizations similarly may benefit from maintaining multiple signaling channels—public communications for stakeholder relations, private channels for competitive action. The question is ensuring the right audiences see the right signals without the channels interfering.