Posts Tagged: Alexander Nguyen Scorpions--to fear or to revere?
The Bohart Museum of Entomology's open house last Sunday drew
visitors of all ages who marveled at the scorpions glowing under
ultraviolet light. UC Davis entomology major Alexander Nguyen
flashed a UV light on the critters as his audience watched in
amazement. Most--but not all--of the world's scorpions glow
under ultraviolet light, says Lynn Kimsey, director of the
Bohart Museum, which houses more than seven million insect
specimens. Scorpions are not insects, but arachnids, the same as
spiders. Ranging in size from 9 mm to 21 mm, scorpions have
eight legs (arachnid alert!) and grasping claws that help
conquer their prey. But it's their venom that kills. And all
scorpions possess venom. UC Davis entomologist Bruce Hammock and
his lab made the news back in 2003 when they published a study
that showed that scorpions produce two venoms: a pre-venom to
deter predators and immobilize small prey, and then the good
stuff, the powerful venom that's mea