Things That Glow Green in the Night
As I was researching this month’s question, I came across some information on a fascinating desert bug, the walkingstick. Usually long and slender, walkingsticks closely resemble the twigs and leaves of the plants they eat, which provides them with life-saving camouflage. But the truly admirable thing about walkingsticks is how they distract the predators that see past their camouflage. Their walkingstick’s first defense is “quaking,” flexing their legs randomly and making their body quiver and shake. If that doesn’t do the trick, the walkingstick may jump or drop to the ground and hold perfectly still. Since most animals don’t eat twigs, the predator quickly loses interest in the fallen walkingstick. And if THAT doesn’t work, certain species of walkingsticks can regurgitate a foul-smelling liquid or leak blood from their leg joints to distract predators. How disgusting, yet cool, is that?
Alrighty, now on to this month’s question, which comes to us from Andrea N. of Chicago:
Is it true that some desert bugs glow in the dark?
With a little help! The exoskeletons of all scorpions, except newborns, fluoresce under ultraviolet light. So, next time you’re in the Sonoran Desert on a warm, moonless night, grab a black light and hit the trail for some scorpion sightseeing. If you don’t feel like venturing out on your own, nighttime Jeep or Hummer tours are a great option and many offer black lights for scorpion viewing.
All scorpions are nocturnal, venturing from their shelters at night to forage for prey. There are more than 30 species of scorpions living in Arizona, but the three most common are the bark scorpion, striped tail (or devil’s) scorpion and the giant hairy scorpion. You’re most likely to find scorpions on the ground, although the bark scorpion does enjoy an occasional climb up trees or rock faces. Now, if you happen to come across a scorpion, consider yourself lucky (they’re somewhat shy), but please don’t touch or disturb it. Scorpion stings are rarely life threatening, but they are very painful. Also, scorpions, like all desert animals and insects, play an important role in the delicate ecosystem. So, just admire the little fellow’s pretty green glow and let him go on about his nocturnal wanderings.
