radioactive scorpion

[pavel]

Nah not really, though both the crickets and the scorp phosphoresced [glowed] when exposed to UV light.

The crickets



Interestingly [to me at any rate] the scorp not only glowed a different color but also to a far greater degree.

[wogga]

Awesome!!

[Diane]

That's how they hunt scorpions in the deserts out here (with a black light). It's scary to see how many are running around...

[Tmai]

Way back in the dark ages they made a horror movie about a giant scorpion..... Cool picture but it does bring back the chills!

[Piper]

Aside from the "cool" factor, that's a really interesting adaptive evolution. The whole critter is UV visible, but the stinger glows particularly bright. That the scorpion adapted that way wouldn't be for the benefit of other animals. It must be for the benefit of the scorpion.

There must be some creature that's a threat to scorpions that has UV visual reception. This is a warning to keep away, for the scorpion's benefit. Probably a predator that could kill the scorpion, but wouldn't enjoy getting stung.

Neat!

McJulie

[Tmai]

McJulie, that makes a lot of sense. Now I'm afraid of the predator too!

[pavel]

I too figure there has to be some advantage to phosphorescing, though last I read no one is quite sure what advantage the scorps actually gain from it. Could indeed be that it serves as a warning system to some other type of arthropod, perhaps as species-species identification, or if it somehow either masks their presence from prey/predator or acts as a lure for prey. [Though many arthropods appear to see in the UV spectrum -- like bees seeing patterns on flower blossums only visible in the UV, I don't know if anyone knows precisely WHAT all stands out "color-wise" in the UV.]