Glowing Scorpions! Scorpion Hunting in the California Desert

Let’s go scorpion hunting. Nearly impossible to see without a blacklight/UV flashlight, these scorpions glow highlighter yellow. Just a simple UV/blacklight flashlight you can get online for 20-30$. This is in the desert in South East California, near the Salton Sea and Glamis. Arizona Hairy Scorpion – Hadrurus arizonesis.

Here is a theory why they have evolved to glow-
Their glowing bodies might serve as one big eye, helping scorpions find shelter under rocks, logs or grasses on moonlit nights, according to a 2012 study published in “Animal Behaviour.” Led by Douglas Gaffin from the University of Oklahoma, this study showed that scorpions would scurry around in the dark until part of their bodies fell under the shadow of shelter. When shelter was scarce, scorpions preferred even a single blade of grass that cast just a small shadow to sitting completely exposed in the moonlight. This might be because the glowing exoskeleton helps the scorpions see by passing information to the brain on the amount of glow; when the exoskeleton glows more, the scorpion is in greater danger of predation. When there’s no glow, the scorpion is sheltered from predators.

The exact reason for glowing isn’t completely understood, but the science behind the glow is. Young scorpions and those who have newly molted don’t glow; they develop the fluorescence as their exoskeletons harden. The exoskeleton develops several chemicals, including beta-carboline, that cause it to glow under UV light. They lose this ability temporarily when they shed their skins, but gradually regain it after their molts.

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