Lucihormetica luckae facts for kids
Lucihormetica luckae is a special kind of giant cockroach that comes from Ecuador in South America. It's known for something very cool: it might be able to glow in the dark!
Quick facts for kids Lucihormetica luckae |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: |
Blaberidae
|
| Subfamily: |
Blaberinae
|
| Genus: |
Lucihormetica
|
| Species: |
L. luckae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lucihormetica luckae Vršanský et al., 2012
|
|
How It Might Glow
This amazing cockroach, L. luckae, has special spots on its back shell. There's one small spot and two larger ones. These spots can glow when light shines on them. This is called autofluorescence.
Scientists think these glowing spots might help the cockroach pretend to be a different insect. It might be trying to look like a toxic click beetle called Pyrophorus. These beetles also glow and are dangerous for predators to eat. This trick is called Batesian mimicry. It's like a harmless animal pretending to be a harmful one to stay safe.
While we know these spots can glow from autofluorescence, it's not fully proven if Lucihormetica cockroaches can make their own light. This is called bioluminescence. More research is needed to be sure.
Its Current Status
L. luckae might be in danger, or it could even be extinct. This is because only one of these cockroaches has ever been found. That was about 70 years ago!
Also, the Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador is where this cockroach lived. This volcano became very active in 1999. Volcanic eruptions can destroy habitats and make it hard for animals to survive.
Even though it's rare, L. luckae was chosen as one of the Top 10 New Species 2012. This list is put together by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University. It highlights amazing new discoveries in the animal world.
In Human Culture
The unique back shell of L. luckae has been noticed for looking a bit like the Jawas. These are fictional creatures from the famous Star Wars movies and stories.
See also
In Spanish: Cucaracha gigante bioluminiscente para niños
