Scientists Say: Crepuscular
These animals prefer the dim glow of twilight
Fireflies are crepuscular insects. The dim light of evening helps their flashes stand out.
QUIT007/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Crepuscular (adjective, “Kreh-PUS-kew-lur”)
A word to describe an animal that is active in twilight — dusk or dawn. Animals active during the day are diurnal. Those active at night are nocturnal. Some animals in desert environments are crepuscular to avoid the heat of the day. Other animals — such as fireflies — are crepuscular so their flashing signals shine bright.
In a sentence
When using an app that tracks fireflies, you might want to wait until dusk to capture the crepuscular bugs.
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Power Words
(for more about Power Words, click here)
app Short for application , or a computer program designed for a specific task.
bug The slang term for an insect. Sometimes it’s even used to refer to a germ.
crepuscular An adjective that describes animals that are active during twilight.
diurnal An adjective for some activity that is done during the day, or some organism that is active during the day.
environment The sum of all of the things that exist around some organism or the process and the condition those things create for that organism or process. Environment may refer to the weather and ecosystem in which some animal lives, or, perhaps, the temperature, humidity and placement of components in some electronics system or product.
nocturnal An adjective for something that is done, occurring or active at night.
