Lightning Bug for T food ?

[VENOMdeBEEVER]

I Live in Michigan & 2night was the 1st night ive sen them little red and black flying bugs with glowing green butts. I was wandering if that would be ok to feed an adult T ?

 

[lunashimmer]

Don't do it!

Just from reading the Tarantula Keeper's Guide and different posts here, I would say NO...because you never know what kind of pesticides the lightning bugs may have been exposed to. You should always feed your Ts food purchased from a reliable, reputable pet store or something you've bred down 2 or 3 generations.

 

[malevolentrobot]

You should always feed your Ts food purchased from a reliable, reputable pet store or something you've bred down 2 or 3 generations.

agreed. most feeder insects are dirt cheap where i live, hopefully they are where you live too. if you want to do it just to feed something new, you could try rotationally feeding with crix, waxworms and roaches instead.

 

[MichiganReptiles]

My guess is that they are not safe. I know they are toxic to my reptiles and would kill them very quickly so I would guess the same goes for a T.

 

[rustym3talh3ad]

My guess is that they are not safe. I know they are toxic to my reptiles and would kill them very quickly so I would guess the same goes for a T.

indeed...lightening bugs are dangerous to most animals...as per quoted from Wiki (no its not where i get all my answers but it sums it up pretty well)

~"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 luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP (adenosene triphosphate), and oxygen to produce light. Genes coding for these substances have been inserted into many different organisms (see Luciferase – Applications). Luciferase is used in forensics, and the enzyme has medical uses.

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."

Now, though ive never fed any of my animals or T's a lightning bug/firefly becuz ive always been told it was a bad idea...i had at one point fed one to my Venus fly trap, and within 3 days of digestion most of the plant had turned a gross color and within the week a majority of the plan was dead. coincidence, perhaps but i wont be testing the theory any time soon.

 

[smallara98]

You really shouldn't! There can be living pesticides or infections in the bug. Same goes for dirt (off topic kinda). Just dont get anything from outside period.

 

[rustym3talh3ad]

Just dont get anything from outside period.

+1. i tell people all the time DO NOT feed your bearded dragon bugs from the outside u have no freakin clue what that bug has been in or whats living inside of it. but more or less the firefly thing is just dangerous and is not to be taken lightly.

 

[VENOMdeBEEVER]

Thank you

Wow super great info thank you every1 that posted. I will never feed my Ts anything but pet store baught food.

 

[Slappys_g1rl06]

Man... on a less serious note, it would be soooo cool to feed a ton of lightning bugs to your t's and get them to start glowing! How pretty would an A. met night-light be???

 

[rvtjonny]

Wow super great info thank you every1 that posted. I will never feed my Ts anything but pet store baught food.

cant really trust that either.. try breading some roaches

 

[pwilson5]

+1. i tell people all the time DO NOT feed your bearded dragon bugs from the outside u have no freakin clue what that bug has been in or whats living inside of it. but more or less the firefly thing is just dangerous and is not to be taken lightly.

hahhahahaha light ning bug... Light ly.. ha

 

[BQC123]

I remember some reports, and an article about reptiles dying after being fed a lightning bug. No definite conclusion was reached at that time, but it was suggested that they were likely toxic.
This was about 10 years ago. I never followed the subject, so I don't know what the outcome was.
Why take the chance?

 

[pouchedrat]

Yeah. they're toxic.... they can kill domestic birds who eat them without knowing, as well.

 

[VENOMdeBEEVER]

Sweet

Thats why i posted this thread cause I thaught it would be cool as hell to see my Ts fangs glowing. But then it would really really really suck to see her dead.