Finding Glow-in-the-Dark Millipedes

Forget the fireflies, check out these lightning bugs of a different color.  SciFri listener Chris Lavin stumbled upon fluorescing blue millipedes during an evening stroll near her home in Canyon, California and sent along video documentation. Glowing-millipede specialist Paul Marek, an entomologist at the University of Arizona, identified the millipedes, and explained what’s known about their mysterious glow.

Credits

Millipede footage courtesy of Chris Lavin, Paul Marek
Music by Yacht

Meet the Producer

About Flora Lichtman

Flora Lichtman was the host of the podcast Every Little Thing. She’s a former Science Friday multimedia producer.