Lightning bugs from hell!

Preekoo

Preekoo

Member
I had a lady at a pet store tell me a horror story of a lil boy that had a bearded dragon that he loved for about a year and a half. Than one day he tried feeding it a lightning bug...well we all know how this ends. She said the little boy came running into the store, balling his eyes out, carrying the corpse of his bearded dragon :( she tried to help him but he was a goner. The little boy fed it to him and in a couple seconds his lizard was foaming at the mouth...can anyone answer me, why does the most appetizing bug for a lizard, have to be the most toxic? What causes it to kill lizards? Do chams not try and eat them in the wild? (if there is even lightning bugs where they live)
 
Source: Wikipedia (so dont believe every word entirely without opinions of others)lol

Light production in fireflies is due to a type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence. This process occurs in specialised light-emitting organs, usually on a firefly's lower abdomen. The enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light. Genes coding for these substances have been inserted into many different organisms (see Luciferase – Applications). Firefly luciferase is used in forensics, and the enzyme has medical uses — in particular, for detecting the presence of ATP or magnesium. It has been speculated that Baroque painter Caravaggio may have prepared his canvases with a powder of dried fireflies to create a photosensitive surface on which he projected the image to be painted.[6]
All fireflies glow as larvae. Bioluminescence serves a different function in lampyrid larvae than it does in adults. It appears to be a warning signal to predators, since many firefly larvae contain chemicals that are distasteful or toxic.
Light in adult beetles was originally thought to be used for similar warning purposes, but now its primary purpose is thought to be used in mate selection. Fireflies are a classic example of an organism that uses bioluminescence for sexual selection. They have a variety of ways to communicate with mates in courtships: steady glows, flashing, and the use of chemical signals unrelated to photic systems.[7]
Some species, especially lightning bugs of the genera Photinus, Photuris, and Pyractomena, are distinguished by the unique courtship flash patterns emitted by flying males in search of females. In general, females of the Photinus genus do not fly, but do give a flash response to males of their own species.


Firefly larva
Tropical fireflies, in particular, in Southeast Asia, routinely synchronise their flashes among large groups. This phenomenon is explained as phase synchronization[8] and spontaneous order. At night along river banks in the Malaysian jungles (the most notable ones found near Kuala Selangor), fireflies (kelip-kelip in the Malay language or Bahasa Malaysia) synchronise their light emissions precisely. Current hypotheses about the causes of this behavior involve diet, social interaction, and altitude. In the Philippines, thousands of fireflies can be seen all year-round in the town of Donsol (called aninipot or totonbalagon in Bicol). In the United States, one of the most famous sightings of fireflies blinking in unison occurs annually near Elkmont, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains during the first weeks of June.[9] Congaree National Park in South Carolina is another host to this phenomenon.[10]
Female Photuris fireflies are known for mimicking the mating flashes of other "lightning bugs" for the sole purpose of predation. Target males are attracted to what appears to be a suitable mate, and are then eaten. For this reason the Photuris species are sometimes referred to as "femme fatale fireflies."
Many fireflies do not produce light. Usually these species are diurnal, or day-flying, such as those in the genus Ellychnia. A few diurnal fireflies that inhabit primarily shadowy places, such as beneath tall plants or trees, are luminescent. One such genus is Lucidota. These fireflies use pheromones to signal mates. This is supported by the fact that some basal groups do not show bioluminescence and, rather, use chemical signaling. Phosphaenus hemipterus has photic organs, yet is a diurnal firefly and displays large antennae and small eyes. These traits strongly suggests pheromones are used for sexual selection, while photic organs are used for warning signals. In controlled experiments, males coming from downwind arrived at females first, thus male arrival was correlated with wind direction, indicating males' chemotaxis into a pheromone plume. Males were also found to be able to find females without the use of visual cues, when the sides of test Petri dishes were covered with black tape. This and the facts that females do not light up at night and males are diurnal point to the conclusion that sexual communication in P. hemipterus is entirely based on pheromones.[11]
 
I'm a very intelligent person, and that is almost to much for me to comprehend lol. I'll be back in about 10 years after I find enough dictionary's to tell me what all those words mean xP

Is there even a part in there that tells why they're toxic to lizards? :p
 
The enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light.

The toxins, called "lucibufagins," are chemically related to cardiotoxins found in toads and plants.

Signs of firefly poisoning commonly occur within 30 minutes of ingestion and, in lizards, can include head shaking, gaping, repeated attempts to regurgitate, difficulty breathing, and a darkening of the skin. Death can occur within an hour of ingestion and is due to the effect of the toxin on the heart. For many lizards, eating just one firefly can be lethal.
 
Try this: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1913&aid=3194

. Fireflies contain toxins that can be poisonous to lizards, amphibians, and potentially other animals, including birds. The toxins, called "lucibufagins," are chemically related to cardiotoxins found in toads and plants.

Signs of firefly poisoning commonly occur within 30 minutes of ingestion and, in lizards, can include head shaking, gaping, repeated attempts to regurgitate, difficulty breathing, and a darkening of the skin. Death can occur within an hour of ingestion and is due to the effect of the toxin on the heart. For many lizards, eating just one firefly can be lethal.
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Eliza smart guru, he is. And thanks camal (lol). I was just being a curious george, kinda like my chameleon.
 
Preekoo said:
Eliza smart guru, he is. And thanks camal (lol). I was just being a curious george, kinda like my chameleon.
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i had a few WC pets die bc of these bugs when i was young. i feel that little boys pain :(
although i still like to watch them in the sky :)
 
Swayne8998 said:
Haha that must be awkward for the other guy... ._.

So far Wikipedia hasn't done me wrong. So I would agree with camaleonte. (By the way weren't you a Senior Member?)
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Except for when an article is wrong. I had to correct an article on a field of math on time (One on Nuclear Physics as well). They screwed up a couple of things... With the more obscure articles like that, mistakes seem more common.
 
AllFallDown said:
Except for when an article is wrong. I had to correct an article on a field of math on time (One on Nuclear Physics as well). They screwed up a couple of things... With the more obscure articles like that, mistakes seem more common.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm aware of the crap they try to put off.
 
Elizadolots said:
Ah...humor...it is a difficult concept....(Star Trek reference).
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Gotta agree on that... especially when it's via text :/

EDIT: Of course I never watched Star Trek... But ask away any Star Wars question you want! (Read the name of my leo gecko, lol. Most people don't get it, though.)
 
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