Latest news with #entomology
CNN
6 days ago
- Science
- CNN
Breakthrough discovery shows that moths listen to plants — and avoid the noisy ones
FacebookTweetLink When a plant is stressed, it doesn't keep quiet about it. You won't hear the plant's cry because it's in the ultrasonic range — too high-pitched for human ears — but, for decades, scientists have been using special devices to listen in. For the first time, a team of researchers in Israel has documented that insects can hear and interpret plants' acoustic distress signals. This finding builds upon the research group's prior work recording sounds that tomato and tobacco plants make when they are dehydrated, said lead study author Rya Seltzer, an entomologist and doctoral student in the department of zoology at Tel Aviv University in Israel. 'The prevailing hypothesis is that these sounds are produced as a result of changes in the plant's water balance within the xylem vessels,' the specialized plant cells that carry water and nutrients upward from the roots to the stem and leaves, Seltzer told CNN in an email. During periods of stress from lack of water, air bubbles form, expand and collapse in xylem tissues. This sequence of events produces vibrations, generating click-like sounds every few seconds that the researchers measured in the acoustic frequency range of about 20 to 100 kilohertz. They estimated these frequencies to be audible to insects at distances up to 16 feet (around 5 meters). (Sound waves at frequencies higher than 20 kilohertz are typically beyond the range of human hearing). The scientists wanted to know if these ultrasonic sounds were being picked up by insects, so they observed the Egyptian cotton leafworm moth (Spodoptera littoralis), which lays its eggs on plant leaves. The study team found these moths tended to avoid noisy, stressed tomato plants. Instead, the insects favored tomato plants that were quieter and therefore in better condition, with leaves that would provide a juicier meal for newly hatched larvae, according to a recent study published in the journal eLife. '(The research) reveals a surprising new way that animals can sense and respond to cues from the environment — in this case, insects picking up sounds from stressed plants,' Dr. Yali V. Zhang, an adjunct associate professor of physiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said in an email. Zhang, who studies chemical communication between insects and plants at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, was not involved in the study. However, just because the moths hear and react to sounds from dehydrated plants doesn't mean that the plants and moths are holding a conversation, Seltzer said. 'It's important to clarify that we observed an interaction — not communication,' she added. 'It's crucial to understand that plants likely produce these sounds passively and are not actively trying to communicate with insects.' When the scientists presented female moths with a choice between a dried-out tomato plant and a fresh one, the moths flocked to the fresh plant to lay their eggs. But the team wanted to understand whether the sounds from the dehydrated plant were a factor in the moths' selection. The researchers built an arena consisting of two boxes. In one box, they played recordings of plants' distress sounds, while the other box was silent. In the experiment, moths gravitated to the noisy box, and scientists theorize that it's because the sounds suggested that they would find a living plant there. This preference vanished when the scientists deafened the moths, leading to the conclusion that moths were listening to the plants before they made their choices, the study authors wrote. In another experiment, the researchers again offered the female moths a selection of two tomato plants. This time, both plants were hydrated, but one was near a speaker playing ultrasonic stress sounds. The result: More of the moths picked the quieter plant. A third experiment tested whether the egg-laying females were influenced by other acoustic cues, such as those of male moths, who produce ultrasonic courtship clicks. It found that when male moths' calls were broadcast from one side of the arena, females 'showed no significant preference' as to where they lay their eggs, according to the study. Together, these experiments told the researchers that the moths were listening to and recognizing sounds made by plants — and that they were using that acoustic information to make decisions about those plants for their reproduction, Seltzer said. Insects have been capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds since at least the Eocene epoch (55.8 million to 33.9 million years ago). However, the researchers were surprised to see that the moths recognized the plants' ultrasonic signs of distress, Seltzer said. Even though female moths in the experiments had never laid eggs before — and therefore had no prior experience deciphering acoustic cues from plants — they not only recognized plant sounds, but preferred quieter plants for their first time egg-laying. 'It's a really cool and surprising discovery!' Zhang said. 'We've known for a long time that plants give off smells when they're in trouble, like when they're being eaten by bugs or are thirsty. These smells help attract helpful insects or scare away pests,' he said. 'What's new here is that sound may give extra information — like a warning signal — especially when there's no smell or the smell is hard to detect. ' Plant acoustics is an area of growing interest for scientists, and preliminary work suggests that sound-making is widespread, Seltzer said. Future research could investigate the use of acoustic monitoring to understand how stress affects plant health and could identify potential applications for agricultural pest control. 'I believe this is just the beginning of discoveries in this field,' Seltzer said. 'There are countless organisms that can hear in these frequencies, and potentially many more plant sounds we haven't discovered yet,' she added. 'This is definitely just the tip of the iceberg.' Mindy Weisberger is a science writer and media producer whose work has appeared in Live Science, Scientific American and How It Works magazine. She is the author of 'Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind Control' (Hopkins Press). Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.
ABC News
23-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Parasitic wasp collected by Queensland students identified as new species
A parasitic wasp captured in a trap set by Queensland school students has been identified as a new species. It was recently recognised in peer-reviewed research after it was found in 2022. Since the discovery is so new, researcher Andy Howe said not much was known about the species other than how it reproduced. "They will lay their eggs in or on a host, another insect," Dr Howe, an entomologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said. Despite the gruesome parasitoid life cycle, Dr Howe said the creatures had delicate features. "It has lovely long antennae and cool little wings. It's very small, which is impressive in itself, but it has really fine, beautiful detailed structure on its back and cool big eyes," Dr Howe said. But outside of that, he said it was not clear how widespread the wasps were. "We know nothing, or very little, about how abundant they are … that would depend on their host, and the type of habitat that they use." The students who discovered the species at Gin Gin, west of Bundaberg, described the wasp as "creepy" but "very cool". Gin Gin was one of 50 schools in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia involved in a citizen science program in 2022, capturing hundreds of insects. The students used Malaise traps, which are tent-like structures made of netting. Specimens were sent to the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada for DNA barcoding. It was there, the parasitoid species was identified, and the Gin Gin school community chose its name, Cotesia ginginensis. The findings have now been published in the peer-reviewed Zootaxa Journal. Karyn Goodman, head of science at Gin Gin State High School, said it had been an anxious but exciting wait for news. "The kids and the staff are just so excited that we've gone through the long process, and finally we have an outcome, and we're forever going to be in the history books," she said. Ms Goodman said the project had strengthened the students' understanding of science and respect for the land. "Making that connection for them that what they do now, what they get involved in, what they contribute to, does have that ripple effect out there in the world." Past student at Gin Gin State High School, Caitlin Caunt, said the group had not expected to find anything new. "It's very cool. We didn't really believe at first and [finding out] it was published was like, 'Wow, that actually happened,'" she said. Ms Caunt said the project gave the students some valuable life lessons. "We learnt that even though we think that we've discovered everything, we've always got to keep looking, because there's always something that we haven't found," she said. Dr Howe said it was the ideal outcome. "We thought that they would [but] we didn't make any promises," he said. "There are 220,000-plus species of insects in Australia, and like 30 to 33 per cent of them have been described, so they have a formal scientific name. "So that means that the chance of finding one of those [undescribed species] is fairly high, and thankfully, we did."
Washington Post
14-07-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
‘Ticks EVERYWHERE?': Sightings and bites in the D.C. region heighten worries
Michael Raupp is used to pulling bugs off his body. As an entomology professor and author of a blog that introduces readers to a bug a week, the 73-year-old spends a lot of time outdoors conducting field research. His work takes him into forests, meadows and other patches of greenery in Maryland, and afterward, it's not unusual for him to find winged or multi-legged creatures hitchhiking on him.
South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
‘Too good to refuse': why world's top flying insect detective Jason Chapman chose China
As a world expert on insect migration, Jason Chapman knows a thing or two about the impact of travel. The top British ecologist has now made his own move, a career decision that has underscored the growing prominence of China in the fields of natural science. Chapman's decision to leave the UK for a full-time position at a Chinese university reflects the country's expanding global influence in research. This includes a cutting-edge radar that can track flying insects, technology that the acclaimed behavioural ecologist could not resist. Substantial financial support and a commitment to agricultural research have helped China to develop world-class entomological radar technology, Chapman said. 'China is now certainly the world leader in radar entomology, with many people working in this field,' said Chapman, who worked at the University of Exeter before moving to Nanjing Agricultural University (NJAU) in June. Chapman's research focuses on the evolution of insect migration strategies and the impact of long-range movements. When he joined Rothamsted Research in the United Kingdom as a postdoctoral fellow in 1999, his lab was one of the few teams worldwide pioneering the application and research of entomological radar.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The truth about flying ant day and the best way to get rid of the pesky insects
Brits have been basking in the sunshine recently, with the UK recording some of the hottest temperatures of the year so far. But as lovely as hot weather can be, the heat tends to herald the arrival of some unwelcome guests: flying ants. You might have heard of Flying Ant Day. But speaking to experts from the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) about what and when it is, we discovered it's something of an urban myth. There isn't actually a specific 'Flying Ant Day' (if there was, we'd certainly stay inside). Instead, it's more of a "flying ant season," which usually occurs from late June into September – depending on the weather. "We had thousands of amateur scientists across the UK recording sightings and what we concluded is there isn't one Flying Ant Day," Susie Rabin, RSB's director of communications and public affairs, tells Yahoo UK. "It's really just the weather that triggers them to start flying; when it's warm, not very windy, and a bit humid." You'll generally see flying ants when the queen ants (which are easy to spot as they're the biggest and can grow up to 15mm long) are on the lookout for a new home. Unfortunately for us, they don't leave their pals behind. When the queens decide to up and flee, they bring the male ants with them. "They're basically trying to find a mate and a new place to set up a colony," Rabin explains. "The males die pretty much straight after mating, which is why you'll often see lots of dead ants soon after a swarm." Flying ants need the right mix of heat and humidity to trigger their so-called 'nuptial flight'. "It usually needs to be above about 25 degrees, not too windy, and a bit humid," says Rabin. "If those conditions happen multiple times a year, you'll get more than one flight. Some years you might see them in July, other years in August." Flying ants tend to build nests in dry soil so can be found beneath flower beds, lawns and paving slabs. They're common in almost any dry, open area that is warmed by sunlight – including gardens, pavements, brownfield sites, heathland, grassland and coastal areas. In the few weeks before the swarming event happens, you may see heaps of soil appearing above the nests. Although they're not dangerous, flying ants can prove incredibly irritating. They've been known to bite or sting, but this is fairly uncommon. "They're part of the ecosystem – burrowing, breaking down plant matter, and feeding birds," Rabin continues. "If they're outside, it's best just to leave them alone." If you really need to deal with them, your options include: Pouring boiling water into visible nest entrances can kill ants on contact, but it may take repeated treatments. Use insecticide carefully and follow instructions – Rabin advises considering the impact on other wildlife. "Remember birds could eat dead ants," she notes. Check around doors and windows if you're seeing ants indoors, and seal any gaps where they might be getting in. Rabin adds: "Unless they're in your house, they're really not doing any harm. They'll be gone in a few hours. And if they are inside, then it's really something pest control need to deal with." Read more about pests: Seven common pests and how to keep them out of your home (ECHO, 6-min read) Property DIY: How to get rid of pests in the home (Yahoo Finance UK, 4-min read) The surprising harvesting tip that protects your tomatoes from pests (Country Living UK, 3-min read)
