Why fire-flies Glow In The
Dark?
You make think that is for finding their way at night....well really
not....study finds males of the species are looking to attract mates..
..to know more through current science on this amazing vibhuti (power) of
creator bRHmH as per Chapter 10 of bhgvD giitaa which says it is HIM that knows
really why, how and what of this fire-fly with a glowing tail, please click on
the next line a news item from
MSNBC NEWS SCIENCE......
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MSNBC NEWS SCIENCE...... WASHINGTON, April 15 — That
winking glow of the firefly that brightens summer evenings and sends children
scampering with jars is basically a big boast akin to a peacock’s elaborate
tail, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
Firefly males with the longer signals seemed to have more success mating. In
turn, the females they mated with produced more offspring.
MALE FIREFLIES who mustered up a longer fluorescent flash delivered a bigger
“nuptial gift” to their mates — who in turn produced more baby fireflies, the
researchers found.
The study, published in the most recent issue of the journal Behavioral
Ecology, shows that the sexual grandstanding seen in animals as diverse as
birds, deer and people also extends to the insect world.
“We have been studying fireflies because they are such cool creatures,” Sara
Lewis, an associate professor of biology at Tufts University in Boston, said in
a telephone interview.
“Studying how fireflies ensure that their genes are passed on to the next
generation gives us insight into how other organisms, including humans, act,”
said Lewis, who led the study “Pretty much all they do once they turn into
adults is reproduce. Most other things also eat. Some organisms also watch TV.
But there aren’t any distractions from sex for fireflies.”
Fireflies live as larvae for two years. “The larval stage is devoted entirely
to stuffing their mouths. They eat and grow, eat and grow for two years,” Lewis
said.
Then they emerge from underground to spend two glorious weeks courting and
mating, before they basically starve to death, she said.
Each species of firefly has a slightly different flash that translates roughly
into a dialect. But there are differences within species, too.
Lewis and colleagues noticed that some firefly males have a longer flash. They
watched carefully and found those with the longer signals seemed to have more
success mating. In turn, the females they mated with produced more offspring.
A closer looked showed that the longer-signaling males were not just idly
boasting.
“What’s really new is the link between the length of male signaling and the
nutrient package the male provides,” Lewis said, referring to a spermatophore.
“(The spermatophore’s) nickname is ’a nuptial gift.’ These are basically like
nutrients that the males provide to females at mating. In the case of fireflies
it is a very, very fancy package that contains sperm and it contains ...
proteins that are transferred to the female and later incorporated into the
female’s eggs,” she said. “You can kind of think of it as child support.”
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