This Bug!

Bioluminescence is defined as the production of light form a living thing, the energy that they produce is turned in to light. It is a form of Chemiluminescence which is where energy is released by a chemical reaction in the form of light. Bioluminescence usually applies to marine vertebrates and invertebrates. When these creatures produce the light, even though in this case it is to attract or scare away a mate, they also do it for protection and caution from their surroundings, like a defense mechanism. In this case, because we are looking at insects, it’s an invertebrate. Bioluminescence is also known as the cold light, usually not producing much heat but only light. Some insects will produce Luciferin( which reacts with oxygen to create light) as well as luciferase( which is an enzyme that speeds up the light producing reaction), but neither of these help to produce heat. In general bioluminescence produces less than 20% of light that gives off thermal radiation (heat). There are many lights such as incandescent light and infrared light that produce heat but as we can see Bioluminescence is not one of them. This does not apply to this case making this bug a different case. Combustion is the chemical reaction of fuel and an oxidant such as iron oxide. Oxidants are substances that remove electrons from another substance. This reaction is an exothermic one, which means that it is releasing energy in the form of heat and light. Usually when there is a combustion the result ranges from a glow to a flame. Even though this bug is giving off heat, and enough of it to burn our skin when we touch it, it is not giving off enough heat to make the bug burst in to flames. The amount of heat that would approximately be needed for a bug to burst in to flames is approximately between 150 - 215 degrees Celsius. That is a very high temperature and for the bug to be alive, it is not possible that it has reached this temperature or its species would have gone extinct. It is also not possible for the bug to have reached that temperature because bioluminescent usually does not produce heat (cold light) so even though the temperature is higher than usual, it is not high enough for it to combust. I believe that in this case the heat is another part of the bug’s defense mechanism. The bug uses the heat to scare off its predators and keep itself safe. The bug is probably a smaller insect and that’s why it needs the amount of protection that it does.

The picture of the bug above looks a bit like the bug described in the question because of the red glowing stripes on either of its sides. This bug is also bio luminescent but in this picture I think the prominent glow is coming from the tail area. The bug in this picture is a firefly.