Glow in the dark millipedes?

[RTTB]

While on our honeymoon we blacklighted last night a place called Mid Pines outside Yosemite. Was hoping to find some Uroctonus mordax . Found plenty of S gertschi striatus and a multitude of these 2 inch stubby millipedes that’s Glowed green under the black light. Never seen that before. Sorry no pics. Any idea what these millipedes are?

 

[Voes]

Be a lot cooler if we had a picture... But, my best guess is I have no idea...

 

[BuzzSwole]

I bet they’re railroad worms or the larvae of fireflies and other glow bugs. If they look feathery and max out at an inch in length then you did find a featherpede

 

[davehuth]

Many (most?) Xystodesmidae will fluoresce brightly under UV light. Some other polydesmids will do so occasionally (some of my local Pseudopolydesmus glow red!). The most reliable way for me to locate Xystodesmids is to go out after dark with a UV flashlight.

I've learned that UV fluorescence is more common than I expected. In addition to the well known scorpions and millipedes, many Lepidopteran larvae do it, as well as fungus, birds (saw-whet owls), and mammals (flying squirrels)!

 

[BuzzSwole]

Did not absorb the part where he said black light lol ya we def need pics

 

[Aquarimax]

There are some species of flat millipedes in CA that are truly bioluminescent. There was a thread a while back...apparently a shipment came in (I think it was Bugs in Cyberspace) and several AB folks tried to keep them. It seemed that they had very specific environmental requirements, so they didn’t last long, but the accounts of their glow were fascinating to read.

 

[MBArachnids]

Everyone probably knows this, but just for someone who doesn't all scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light as well.

 

[MBArachnids]

There are some species of flat millipedes in CA that are truly bioluminescent. There was a thread a while back...apparently a shipment came in (I think it was Bugs in Cyberspace) and several AB folks tried to keep them. It seemed that they had very specific environmental requirements, so they didn’t last long, but the accounts of their glow were fascinating to read.

Cool channel, subscribed

 

[VolkswagenBug]

Many (most?) Xystodesmidae will fluoresce brightly under UV light. Some other polydesmids will do so occasionally (some of my local Pseudopolydesmus glow red!). The most reliable way for me to locate Xystodesmids is to go out after dark with a UV flashlight.

I've learned that UV fluorescence is more common than I expected. In addition to the well known scorpions and millipedes, many Lepidopteran larvae do it, as well as fungus, birds (saw-whet owls), and mammals (flying squirrels)!

I could be remembering wrong, but IIRC polyxenids also fluoresce under UV.

 

[maggiedonut]

While on our honeymoon we blacklighted last night a place called Mid Pines outside Yosemite. Was hoping to find some Uroctonus mordax . Found plenty of S gertschi striatus and a multitude of these 2 inch stubby millipedes that’s Glowed green under the black light. Never seen that before. Sorry no pics. Any idea what these millipedes are?

While on our honeymoon we blacklighted last night a place called Mid Pines outside Yosemite. Was hoping to find some Uroctonus mordax . Found plenty of S gertschi striatus and a multitude of these 2 inch stubby millipedes that’s Glowed green under the black light. Never seen that before. Sorry no pics. Any idea what these millipedes are?

that sounds awesome definitely going to have to do a google search on it

 

[khil]

Probably xystocheir millipedes. I've caught a lot myself. These, right?

 

[Celestus]

Everyone probably knows this, but just for someone who doesn't all scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light as well.

This is not true. Most, if not all, Chaerilus sps. do not fluoresce under UV light.

 

[MBArachnids]

This is not true. Most, if not all, Chaerilus sps. do not fluoresce under UV light.

I admit, Chaerilus sp is the only one that does not.