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The fireflies
Description: The fireflies, particularly the male firefly of these places (Luciola italica)
are the smallest of the family of lampiridi ie those insects of the order of beetles that are able to emit their own light.
Permanence: The fireflies here in Garfagnana, appear in mid-June (eg. in 2002: on 12-13 of June) and be gone after about a month.
Emit light, how and why?
The epidermis of the last two abdominal segments and in the ventral part is transparent, it is behind a layer of organic substance called luciferin in which they are immersed as many branches of the trachea carry oxygen, another inner layer is the reflective parable of a flagship car, so as to step up to the light signal. So with a simple process of oxidation a firefly, both male and female, able to emit light from organic substances.
[More on light:
The light that emanates from insects of the order Coleoptera, family Lampiridi is produced by bodies made up of three layers: the inner is composed of cells with cytoplasm rich in uric acid crystals and has the function of "reflector"; the middle layer is composed of cells with bright cytoplasm rich in mitochondria which are developed in the chemical reactions that lead to emission of light, for the third layer consists of a transparent veil.
The brightness comes from a series of reactions using the energy that comes from ATP (adenosintrifosfato) when trasorma in ADP (adenosindifosfato), leading to the transformation of the luciferin-luciferasi in an unstable compound that tends to return to ground state with the release of a photon.
The light is cold, lacking both infrared and ultraviolet rays and has a wavelength ranging from 500 and 650 millimicron. To give an idea of the light, we think that we need about 6,000 insects to have a clearance equal to that of a candle.]
To switch on and off the lantern, the insect must not only increase or decrease the flow of oxygen in the trachea.
Behaviour: At this point, we clarify the reason for so much waste of energy: the continuation of the species. The male flying slowly above the sports field itself or rather intensity and modulation of its lighthouse, as does the female to the ground or climbing up on a stem, having no wings.
When a male and a female flash with the same pace and with the same intensity of light is the signal! It is as if they had mutually declared. What happens after that is in the public domain.
Nutrition: But there is another aspect of the lives of these little known animals, and yet very important: the power supply. Given the small size of fireflies: 7 mm for the male, 13 mm for females, the lack of bodies seeming defensive or offensive, it would be brought to think of a peaceful and maybe be a vegetarian, so much so that everyone has caught at least once with a firefly hands without any problems, we never dream of doing the same with a hornet!
And instead of our little firefly is a carnivore of the most fearsome, but the exclusive and refined taste: in fact only eats shellfish. Yes, nuts are commonplace favorite food, especially those of medium size as the snails, the shell with clear black lines (ELIX variabilis).
You say: It is impossible! How can a small insect, 7 mm long deal successfully with a giant 40 mm long and more with calcareous shell unassailable?
br/> Like this: like all the firefly beetles has jaws like pincers to embrace, though insignificant in size than, for example, the pincers of the male deer voltante (Lucanus cervus): huge, scary, but harmless. The technique of hunting is as follows: When the snail is retracted in the shell and is not scared, still leaves a small portion of the so-called "blanket" along the edge of the shell itself, and that is enough to our hunter: approaching light, biting gently, it seems as if this kiss mantle using their mandibles, not as a body torn apart, but rather as a double painless hypodermic needle, injecting the victim a powerful anesthetic substance in infinitesimal doses, but enough to paralyze immediately prey, so that does not depict further into their shells.
At this point comes into action of an enzyme in the liquid injected, Prediger that the meat of the nut, turning the muscle mass in a liquid soup very much and nutritious, which is literally sucked from the firefly, using the same jaw as a hollow suction pump.
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Permanence: The fireflies here in Garfagnana, appear in mid-June (eg. in 2002: on 12-13 of June) and be gone after about a month.
Emit light, how and why?
The epidermis of the last two abdominal segments and in the ventral part is transparent, it is behind a layer of organic substance called luciferin in which they are immersed as many branches of the trachea carry oxygen, another inner layer is the reflective parable of a flagship car, so as to step up to the light signal. So with a simple process of oxidation a firefly, both male and female, able to emit light from organic substances.
[More on light:
The light that emanates from insects of the order Coleoptera, family Lampiridi is produced by bodies made up of three layers: the inner is composed of cells with cytoplasm rich in uric acid crystals and has the function of "reflector"; the middle layer is composed of cells with bright cytoplasm rich in mitochondria which are developed in the chemical reactions that lead to emission of light, for the third layer consists of a transparent veil.
The brightness comes from a series of reactions using the energy that comes from ATP (adenosintrifosfato) when trasorma in ADP (adenosindifosfato), leading to the transformation of the luciferin-luciferasi in an unstable compound that tends to return to ground state with the release of a photon.
The light is cold, lacking both infrared and ultraviolet rays and has a wavelength ranging from 500 and 650 millimicron. To give an idea of the light, we think that we need about 6,000 insects to have a clearance equal to that of a candle.]
To switch on and off the lantern, the insect must not only increase or decrease the flow of oxygen in the trachea.
Behaviour: At this point, we clarify the reason for so much waste of energy: the continuation of the species. The male flying slowly above the sports field itself or rather intensity and modulation of its lighthouse, as does the female to the ground or climbing up on a stem, having no wings.
When a male and a female flash with the same pace and with the same intensity of light is the signal! It is as if they had mutually declared. What happens after that is in the public domain.
Nutrition: But there is another aspect of the lives of these little known animals, and yet very important: the power supply. Given the small size of fireflies: 7 mm for the male, 13 mm for females, the lack of bodies seeming defensive or offensive, it would be brought to think of a peaceful and maybe be a vegetarian, so much so that everyone has caught at least once with a firefly hands without any problems, we never dream of doing the same with a hornet!
And instead of our little firefly is a carnivore of the most fearsome, but the exclusive and refined taste: in fact only eats shellfish. Yes, nuts are commonplace favorite food, especially those of medium size as the snails, the shell with clear black lines (ELIX variabilis).
You say: It is impossible! How can a small insect, 7 mm long deal successfully with a giant 40 mm long and more with calcareous shell unassailable?
br/> Like this: like all the firefly beetles has jaws like pincers to embrace, though insignificant in size than, for example, the pincers of the male deer voltante (Lucanus cervus): huge, scary, but harmless. The technique of hunting is as follows: When the snail is retracted in the shell and is not scared, still leaves a small portion of the so-called "blanket" along the edge of the shell itself, and that is enough to our hunter: approaching light, biting gently, it seems as if this kiss mantle using their mandibles, not as a body torn apart, but rather as a double painless hypodermic needle, injecting the victim a powerful anesthetic substance in infinitesimal doses, but enough to paralyze immediately prey, so that does not depict further into their shells.
At this point comes into action of an enzyme in the liquid injected, Prediger that the meat of the nut, turning the muscle mass in a liquid soup very much and nutritious, which is literally sucked from the firefly, using the same jaw as a hollow suction pump.
Popular culture