Why Millipedes Glow in the Dark

The New York Times Science Take video series, which explores [1] new research developments, recently focused on a peculiar feature exhibited by a certain species of millipede.

Virginia Tech entomologist Dr. Paul Marek and University of Arizona entomologist Dr. Wendy Moore, along with several colleagues, conducted a study in 2011 where they discovered these insects emit cyanide to fend off predators, which allows them to glow in the dark.

However, the researchers found this bioluminescence capability only appears in nine species of one millipede genus called Mytoxia, and only once in the history of these bugs.

Dr. Marek and Dr. Moore conducted another study in 2013 to figure out how this process originated.

Watch what they found, below.