dismaliteとは 意味・読み方・使い方

別の表記

• Dismalite

語源

From Dismal(s Canyon) +‎ -ite, named after the place where these creatures are found.

名詞

dismalite (plural dismalites)

1. The carnivorous larva of the gnat Orfelia fultoni, which emits bright, blue light via bioluminescence.
   • 2010, Kelly Kazek, Forgotten Tales of Alabama (ebook), Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, unnumbered page:

     Although the creatures known locally as Dismalites are "close cousins" of rare glowworms found in Australia and New Zealand, they are actually fly larvae related to fungus gnats, said Auburn University entomologist Gary Mullen, who has studied the insects.

   • 2011, Janice Parker, Alabama: The Heart of Dixie, New York: AV2 by Weigl, page 19:

     A very rare animal, the dismalite, lives in Alabama. Dismalites are wormes that glow in the dark

   • 2012, Richard Faulk, Gross America: Your Coast-to-Coast Guide to All Things Gross (ebook), Penguin Publishing Group, page 145:

     Once the prey has been thoroughly stuck, the victorious dismalite gloatingly crawls out to further torment its helpless captive. Springing like a self-styled cobra, the tiny larva will strike from time to time.

   • 2019, William G. Deutsch, Alabama Rivers: A Celebration & Challenge, MindBridge Press, unnumbered page:

     A small insect called a Dismalite or Fungus Gnat has a larval stage that lives on moist rock walls and produces light. These so-called glowworms display a bright blue-green light that attracts prey such as midges, mayflies, and caddisflies.