Scientists have unintentionally discovered a breed of millipedes which fluoresce on the notorious San Francisco prison island, Alcatraz.
While out trying to find fluorescing rat droppings – for a valid reason, it was part of a test to see if rats were taking bait laced with fluorescent dye – the bugs were discovered by visiting entomological researchers from the nearby University of California, Davis, according to The Bay Citizen.
The team, lead by Professor Bob Kimsey, are now trying to find out whether the millipedes are part of an existing species that only exist in California or an entirely new kind.
Under normal light, the millipedes look like your garden variety insects:
However, stick them under UV light and the millipedes transform into other-worldly creatures.
Alcatraz island is better known for being one of the world's most infamous and escape-proof prisons rather than as a hotbed for weird insects. However it isn't completely unfamiliar with weird science.
A new JJ Abrams TV show, Alcatraz, recently began in America, broadcast in the UK by Watch. The show, like Abrams' previous high-profile project Lost, contains crazy science, time-travelling and many a character with a shady past.
The presence of glow in the dark insects in the show, however, remains unconfirmed.