Post #14175

Ivan the worm: What is he like, the main Russian firefly? How easy is it to set your butt on fire? Confuse the spelling of -tsya and -tsya? Put sugar in their expresso? Carry out the luciferin oxidation reaction yourself? If the latter, congratulations: you are one of the representatives of the glorious family of fireflies, and today is the very day when you have the opportunity to learn more about your relatives. This family is very extensive, it includes more than 2000 species. Most of them settled in the tropics and subtropics. Only the most desperate moved for permanent residence to temperate climate zones. Even arthropods understand that living in the vastness of Mother Russia is not easy. The most common member of the suicide squad is the common firefly, also known as the Ivanovo worm. What do worms and Ivans have to do with it? Firstly, the body of female fireflies is elongated and wingless - recognizing such a normal beetle is a very non-trivial task. Secondly, according to ancient beliefs, our friends appeared on the night of Ivan Kupala. In fact, fireflies have been crawling on the surface since the beginning of summer. But people noticed them only when crowds went for a walk in the forest at night in honor of the holiday. So what is this magic? Science has a clear answer - bioluminescence. All representatives of the numerous beetle family have in their arsenal a special light-emitting substance glued together from atoms of sulfur, nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen (the same luciferin). In a special organ at the end of the abdomen - the lantern (lantern) - a reaction completely controlled by the arthropod alchemist takes place. As a result, the beetle emits light: yellow, red, green - it all depends on the species. It is noteworthy that fireflies do not produce heat, otherwise the insects would burn everything around to hell. To paraphrase the classic: if asses are on fire, does that mean someone needs it? Yes! In the case of our compatriot, the common firefly, the females shine with their butts in every sense. Regardless of the species, the same task is solved - to attract the opposite sex and continue one’s lineage. The production necessity of coitus, in general, is the meaning of life for adult beetles. Fireflies don't even eat, subsisting on the food they ate as larvae. However, baby fireflies really eat for two. If adult fireflies evoke an atmosphere of romance, then their larvae are ideal heroes for horror. Insatiable creatures, digging underground, devour all living things that come their way: insects, other larvae, gastropods. In addition to the fact that the firefly children are inveterate killers, they are also racketeers! Having devoured the snail, the larva quickly occupies the vacated house and hides in it itself. Young fireflies harass the underground inhabitants all year long. What does this story teach us? Always shine, shine everywhere - the slogan of not only the sun and Vladimir Vladimirov