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DID YOU KNOW ABOUT
LUMINESCENT CREATURES?
Have you ever seen lights moving in trees at night? The source of these
lights, which may sometimes be so numerous that a tree may be suffused
with them all over, is fireflies. These are the best known of luminescent liv-
ing creatures. These animals, which emit light and il-
luminate trees in the darkness of the night, are
among those that scientists have studied
most. Soon we will examine why, but
first let's see how these creatures use
light.
Fireflies produce green-yellow lights
in their bodies. Light is the means of
communication for fireflies. As well as
giving mating signals, this light is also
used for defense against enemies. By
means of light, their enemies understand that fire-
flies are not tasty and thus decide not to feed on them.
The main characteristic of these beetles is that
they make the most of light and they virtually
do not waste any energy. Therefore fireflies
W O N D E R F U L C R E A T U R E S
