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What Are the Bugs That Have Green Lights in the Eyes?

Insects have compound eyes made of numerous receptors that are each an individual visual unit. Many insects use their eyes to see movement and can't see the details of objects, though the vision of some insects -- notably dragonflies -- is very good. The lens of the eye is frequently a highly reflective surface. Insect eyes frequently look like a mosaic to people and may even appear to glow in the right light. Several insects have green, glowing eyes.

Horse Flies
- Horse flies are among the largest flies.
  
  Horse flies are large, round flies who drink blood by cutting the flesh of their victims. They are found in most areas of the United States and are particularly common at the beach and near large bodies of water. These flies have large eyes with a reflective green surface that may glow. In some lights, their eyes may be so bright that they create the appearance of a light inside the eye.
Click Beetles
- Click beetles propel themselves into the air with a click.
  
  Click beetles are a family of beetles that have a unique mechanism on their spine that allows them to make a loud clicking sound. This clicking sound propels them into the air. Some species of click beetles have large eyes on their back that glow bright green. Though some are brightly-colored, most are drab and are only distinguished by their large eyes and clicking sound. They live in the eastern and central United States.
Crane Flies
- Crane fly eyes are small and may be hard to see.
  
  Crane flies are commonly referred to as mosquito eaters and look like large mosquitoes. They have thin, moth-like wings and live throughout the United States. Their bodies are thin, making their eyes easy to miss. Up close, however, their eyes are a bright, glowing green. Crane fly eyes are less reflective than the eyes of some other arthropods, creating the effect of glowing light bulb eyes.
Jumping Spiders
- Jumping spiders have keen eyesight.
  
  Jumping spiders are arachnids with round bodies and large, hairy legs. They have excellent eyesight and eight unusually large eyes. They hunt for their prey and can jump up to 40 times their own height. Distributed throughout the United States and especially common in the Northeast, the eyes of jumping spiders are often a bright, glowing green.

Insects & Science