🌋 🦗 The Lava Cricket 🦗 🌋

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Ahhhhh, good ol' nature never seizes to amaze me!

What if I told you there is a species of cricket that exclusively thrives on hot molten lava?

Well not exactly, but close enough.

Meet Caconemobius fori, commonly known as the Kīlauea lava cricket or dark lava cricket. And as its common name suggests, it has a close relationship with lava.

Endemic to the island of Hawaii, these crickets occur exclusively on fresh solidified lava flows produced by the Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanos. The natives call it "ūhini nēnē pele" for volcanic chirping cricket and that is for a good reason.

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Public Domain

Now, what's really interesting about the species is that it solely feeds on windblown debris which contains plant material and sea foam. It is after the very first visitor of solidified lava fields and there's much nothing else to eat.

I find it fascinating how in its niche this cricket has adapted so well to be the very first colonizer. Not a moss. Not a plant. But it is an animal to first step foot on such a harsh, barren and toxic environment.

And that is apparently by choice since it seems to hate vegetation. When the first plants start to grow it simply leaves for greener pastures disappears.

Specifically, the lava species has never been recorded within 15 m of any established vegetation whereas individuals have been reported as close as 100 m from active volcanic vents.

Hot stuff!

Here are a couple of videos with more info on this amazing creature if you'd like to learn more. Enjoy:

As a wiseman once said

Life, uh, finds a way

References

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24 comments
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You received an upvote of 93% from Precious the Silver Mermaid!

Please remember to contribute great content to the #SilverGoldStackers tag to create another Precious Gem.

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Makes you wonder what other life exists out there in the cosmos if that little fukr is born of fire like a damn phoenix !PIMP

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You know those apocalypse movies where humans go out to feed themselves? I believe that they do the same, but like the video said by choice to avoid competition. So actually they should reproduce and live close by eruptions and use use these lava sites only to feed, so saying that they are pioneers if this is the case maybe it is a wrong definition since they are just there to feed and go somewhere else hehe... but that is my guess ;)

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Yes the go inside the volcano and swim in the hot lava. That is my guess 😳😆

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I guess they have little competition living in that sharp, Sulphur smelling mess! Very cool!
!BBH
!DOOK

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That is an interesting cricket. I guess there is a place for everything and I honestly thought that crickets wouldn't survive near lava.

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When a smart cricket decided to settle near warm lava, everyone was surprised, but when stupid, self-confident people settle next to an active volcano, no one is surprised, life is a strange thing full of mysteries :) !BEER

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