Visual range of scorp eyesight?

Arachnethegreek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
41
Random thought bubble, scorps do not like sunlight, according to a LOT of online caresheets, but some species fluoresce under blacklight, I'm curious as to if black light is within the visual range of scorps, and if it would bother them under a scenario like turning on a black light at night so that when they wander they would be more visible. Maybe an ignorant thought bubble, but a bubble
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 22, 2006
Messages
3,478
yes, UV falls within the spectrum they can see. That's why it is not a good idea to turn on a UVlight all night long as this stresses them very much.
I do use a UV torch to look where they are in the enclosure and to watch them briefly... They always run for cover after 10-20 seconds if I shine directly on them. Some species (Rhopalurus laticauda, Centruroides nitidus) seem more vulnerable to it then others...
 

Athelas

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
48
You might find a recent study published by Kloock et al. in the Journal of Arachnology interesting:

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1636/B09-111.1

The authors put scorpions under various kinds of light (infrared, white, ultraviolet) and compared activity levels of individuals that were fluorescent versus those that had reduced fluorescence following prolonged exposure to UV. They found that those with fluorescence showed a stronger response, suggesting that the fluorescence itself is involved in detection of UV.

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