newly burned trees are an ideal place for these insects to lay their eggs. Furthermore,
fire drives away predators, leaving the beetle free to eat, mate, and lay eggs
safely. But how do black fire beetles find forest fires in the first place?
Consider: Next to its middle legs, the fire beetle has sensors called pit organs
that can detect infrared radiation froma forest fire. The radiation generates heat
in the pit organs and then directs the beetle to head for the flames.
But these beetles have other sensors in their fire-detection tool kit. When their favorite
trees burn, the beetles’ antennas detect minute quantities of certain chemicals
that fires release into the air. According to some researchers, black fire beetles
can use their “smoke detector” antennas to find a single smoldering tree over half a
mile (0.8 km) away. As a result...
of the combination of their abilities, these beetles
appear to sense and find forest fires from a distance of more than 30 miles
(48.3 km)! Researchers are looking to the black
fire beetle’s pit organs and antennas to improve devices that detect infrared radiation
and fire. Traditional high-resolution infrared sensors must be cooled, so the
beetle may help scientists to develop better sensors that will function at room temperature.
The beetle’s antennas have inspired engineers to develop fire-detection
systems that are more sensitive and can distinguish between the by-products of forest
fires and other chemical compounds. Researchers are astounded by the black
fire beetle’s unique way of finding a place to lay its eggs. “How did these beetles
develop their ability to lay eggs this way?” asks E. Richard Hoebeke, a beetle expert
at Cornell University, in the United States. “Think about how little we know of insects
with incredibly sensitive and complex sensory mechanisms.” What do you think? Did the black fire
beetle’s ability to detect forest fires come about by evolution? Or was it designed?