Moths respond to plant sounds, exhibiting an aversion towards loud plants
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have found that female moths are able to interpret and respond to the acoustic distress signals emitted by stressed plants. These signals, in the form of ultrasonic clicks, are beyond the range of human hearing but can be detected by moths.
The study, conducted by a team of scientists, reveals a new way that animals can sense and respond to cues from the environment. When plants are under stress, such as dehydration, they produce more frequent clicks compared to healthy plants. These sounds are produced as a result of changes in the plant's water balance within the xylem vessels.
Moths detect these ultrasonic sounds and differentiate between healthy and stressed plants based on the frequency of the clicks. Female moths generally prefer to lay eggs on healthy, quiet plants rather than on stressed plants that emit frequent distress signals. This preference is believed to be based on the moths' ability to detect these acoustic signals.
The behavioral response of moths suggests that they use these acoustic signals to make informed decisions about where to lay their eggs, potentially maximizing the survival chances of their offspring by avoiding plants that may not provide adequate nutrition due to stress.
The discovery has significant ecological implications, as it could influence pest management strategies. For example, using ultrasonic sounds to deter pests from laying eggs on certain plants could be a novel approach in sustainable agriculture.
The researchers believe that this is just the beginning of discoveries in the field of plant acoustics, with many more plant sounds potentially undiscovered. Future research could investigate the use of acoustic monitoring to understand how stress affects plant health and identify potential applications for agricultural pest control.
It's crucial to understand that plants likely produce these sounds passively and are not actively trying to communicate with insects. The study adds to the growing interest in plant bioacoustics, with preliminary work suggesting that sound-making is widespread.
Insects have been capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds since at least the Eocene epoch (55.8 million to 33.9 million years ago). The preference of moths for quieter plants is due to the plants providing juicier meals for newly hatched larvae.
Researchers in Israel have documented that insects can hear and interpret plants' acoustic distress signals. Mindy Weisberger, a science writer and media producer, is the author of "Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind Control".
In another experiment, more female moths picked the quieter plant when both were hydrated, but one was near a speaker playing ultrasonic stress sounds. The preference of moths for noisy plants vanished when they were deafened, indicating they were listening to the plants before making their choices.
This auditory interaction between plants and insects opens new avenues for studying plant bioacoustics and its role in ecosystems, potentially revealing more complex interactions between plants and animals.
- The discovery in science highlights how some animals, like moths, are able to detect and respond to the acoustic distress signals emitted by stressed plants, which could have potential implications for health-and-wellness in the form of sustainable agriculture.
- The behavior of moths, in choosing to lay eggs on healthier plants rather than stressed ones, based on the acoustic signals emitted by the plants, demonstrates a new area of study in environmental-science, focusing on plant acoustics and its role in influencing animal decisions.
- The findings in the field of science and technology show that moths have the ability to hear ultrasonic sounds and make informed choices based on whether a plant is healthy or stressed, suggesting a possible future for the application of acoustic monitoring for understanding health issues in plants and implementing effective pest control strategies.
