Burrowing Scorpions - Abdomens, underside

Opistophthalmus spp.

These vividly colored images of scorpions take advantage of chemicals in the hard outer cuticle, which fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. Museum arachnologist Lorenzo Prendini used UV fluorescence imaging to identify differences among the species shown. The fluorescence of each species depends on the texture of its surface. Some structures, like eyes and hairlike setae, do not fluoresce at all. The variation reflects the habitats and evolution of the 10 species imaged.