Lucihormetica luckae explained

Lucihormetica luckae is a species of giant cockroach (Blaberidae) from Ecuador.

Light production

Like other species in the genus Lucihormetica, L. luckaes back carapace features one small and two large spots that glow when exposed to light (autofluorescence), perhaps to mimic the appearance of the toxic click beetle (Pyrophorus) that emits light at the same wavelength, in which case this would be an instance of Batesian mimicry.^{[1] [2]} The evidence for genuine bioluminescence in Lucihormetica cockroaches is anecdotal and inconclusive,^{[3] [4]} though there is evidence for autofluorescence.^[5]

Status

The species may be threatened, or even extinct, as only one specimen has ever been collected, some 70 years ago. In addition Tungurahua, the Ecuadorian volcano that served as the species' habitat, entered a new eruptive phase in 1999.^{[6] [7] [8]}

The species was listed among the Top 10 New Species 2012 as selected by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University out of more than 140 nominated species.^{[9] [10]}

Notes and References

1. Vršanský . P. . Chorvát . D. A. . Fritzsche . I. . Hain . M. . Ševčík . R. . Light-mimicking cockroaches indicate Tertiary origin of recent terrestrial luminescence . 10.1007/s00114-012-0956-7 . Naturwissenschaften . 99 . 9 . 739–749 . 2012 . 22864963. 2012NW.....99..739V . 253640486 .
2. News: Glowing insects evolved surprisingly recently . 25 August 2012 . . 21 August 2012.
3. Greven, Hartmut . Zwanzig, Nadine . 2013 . Courtship, Mating, and Organisation of the Pronotum in the Glowspot Cockroach Lucihormetica verrucosa (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865) (Blattodea: Blaberidae) . Entomologie Heute . 25 . 77–97.
4. Merritt, David J. . 2013 . Standards of evidence for bioluminescence in cockroaches . Naturwissenschaften . 100 . 7 . 697–698 . 10.1007/s00114-013-1067-9 . 23740173 . 2013NW....100..697M. 253638000 .
5. Vršanský, Peter . Chorvát, Dušan . 2013 . Luminescent system of Lucihormetica luckae supported by fluorescence lifetime imaging . Naturwissenschaften . 100 . 11 . 1099–1101 . 10.1007/s00114-013-1100-z . 24189980. 2013NW....100.1099V . free .
6. 352080. Tungurahua. 1 January 2009.
7. News: Look at This: Glowing South American Roaches Mimic Toxic Beetles . 25 August 2012 . . 23 August 2012 . 26 August 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120826003146/http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/23/look-at-this-glowing-south-american-roaches-mimic-toxic-beetles/ . dead .
8. Web site: Rudolph . Michael . New species of bioluminescent cockroach possibly already extinct by volcanic eruption . mongabay.com . 15 November 2012 . 14 November 2012.
9. Web site: Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences . Top 10 new species of 2012. 22 May 2013 . ScienceDaily . 23 May 2013.
10. Web site: Newswise. Scientists Announce Top 10 New Species . 22 May 2013 . Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences . Newswise, Inc . 2013-05-23.