5/12/2021: Bring on the bioluminescent beetles

If you haven’t already given the Summer Mode at Roach Crossing post a read, please do so here!

Plant work has started and I’m already feeling the tight squeeze for time. Granted, there are some loose ends to tie up before all my tasks, chores, and projects preceding summer are done, but nonetheless there’s a lot happening in a lot of facets of the day to day right now.

However, the bugs don’t stop existing just because I’m short on time and a lot of the really cool stuff is popping up across the country as any traces of winter vanish.

I received a box of many cool things from long time friend Alan Jeon, who decided to (somehow) do a second Florida trip… solo. I’m pretty sure Alan isn’t human or has some symbiosis with solar radiation because I have no idea how he managed all of the driving and collecting, but he did!

Chief among the things he sent me were some incredible click beetles, Ignelater havaniensis. Unlike the Lucihormetica debacle, this species genuinely and VERY profusely bioluminesces. It’s not really known why they do, but I can say from handling one in the dark for a (poor) photo that seeing two glowing green dots jumping around in the darkness could be very frightening for a visual predator.

I’m working on streamlining husbandry and hope that these neat little guys could be a mainstay one day, but we’ll see if my enclosure and food selections are amicable to them.

-Kyle