Predatory glowing “train”. The survival strategy of this creature causes absolute misunderstanding among scientists (9 photos)

Look: the shipworm lives in ships and feeds on wood. But the railway worm cannot be found either on trains or on the railway. And this is not his only oddity. But first things first.





Railworms, also known as frixothrix beetles, are a genus of insects native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. They got their name due to their interesting color scheme. It turns a caterpillar crawling in the night into a miniature replica of a train.



On each segment of her body there is a pair of yellow-glowing photophores - special luminescent organs that emit light from cells and urea crystals. There are a couple of the same ones on the head, only they no longer glow yellow, but red. So the caterpillar turns out to be a small train with windows on the sides and lights on the locomotive.





And you know, in a sense, it transports passengers. True, in the intestines and in parts. Railworms are quite dangerous predators. 6 centimeters in length, good speed and poisonous mandibles. Their specialization is hunting centipedes and other invertebrates larger than themselves. Some kind of creepy train.



It is warm in their habitat, so frixothrixes can afford a long larval stage without wintering. For almost a year they reduce the population of marigolds, and then hide in a secluded place and pupate. Males turn into small, inconspicuous beetles, and females... into the same larvae, but with an ovipositor!..



Beautiful couple!

Females retain a “childish” body structure, but their genitals are fully developed, this phenomenon is called neoteny. It is relatively common in amphibians and crustaceans, but is very rare in insects.



The most typical example of neoteny is axolotls. They are larvae of ambysts (salamanders) capable of reproducing.

Further - stranger. Many animal species have mastered bioluminescence. Most of them glow yellow or green, a minority glow red. But no one except railway workers pleases the eye with two colors at once. In addition, only the larvae and females glow; the males try not to get burned.



This causes certain problems. Scientists don't quite understand why they do this. If insects shine to attract the attention of prey, then why don't males do this? Yes, they are very different from females, but they live no less than them and also want to eat.



The guys may be plain on their own, but their mustaches are simply gorgeous!

Maybe this is how frixothrixes scare away predators? Living microtrains are of little use for food - they taste bitter. But this assumption is also spoiled by the males: they do not betray their inedibility even with the usual bright coloring! Well, if bright lights are needed to attract the attention of males, then why do the larvae need them?



Everything about railway worms is strange; there are clearly some tricks here. The only good thing is that their difficulties are not our problem. We can afford to simply watch the trains crawling back and forth!