Hey there! 🌟 Did you know that some moths can ‘listen’ to tomato plants? 🍅🦋 Sounds crazy, right?
Scientists in Israel have found out that tomato plants make tiny sounds that we can’t hear. These sounds are called ultrasonic sounds. 📢🌿 And guess what? Moths can hear them!
So, here’s what happened. Female moths are looking for the best place to lay their eggs. They want their baby caterpillars to have yummy plants to eat when they hatch. 🐛🌱
The researchers did some cool experiments. In one test, they put female moths between two boxes. One box had the ultrasonic sounds of a thirsty (dehydrated) tomato plant, and the other box was quiet. The moths chose the box with the sound! 🎧📦
This means the moths thought, “Hey, there’s a plant over there!” even though it was just a recording. When the moths’ ears were covered, they didn’t choose either box. So they were really listening! 👂🦋
In another test, the moths could choose between two real tomato plants. One had the ultrasonic sound of a stressed plant playing nearby, and the other was quiet. This time, the moths chose the quiet plant. They seemed to prefer healthy plants when they could see them. 🌿🍃
The scientists learned that moths pay attention to the sounds plants make. They use this to decide where to lay their eggs. How cool is that? 🤩
This discovery shows that plants and animals can ‘talk’ to each other using sounds we can’t even hear! The study was published in a journal called eLife. 📖🌍
Who knows what other secret conversations are happening in nature? Maybe next time you’re in a garden, think about all the whispers you can’t hear! 🌺🐞
Reference(s):
Researchers find moths 'listen to' ultrasonic sound from tomato plants
cgtn.com
