Plants Talk, Moths Listen: Israeli Study Shows Sound Guides Insect Behavior
Female moths use more than just sight and smell when scouting for egg-laying spots—they also listen, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University. Israeli researchers have found that moths can detect ultrasonic sounds emitted by tomato plants under stress, and that these sounds influence where the insects choose to lay their eggs.
The study builds on earlier work showing that plants emit high-frequency sounds when dehydrated or otherwise stressed. These sounds, which humans cannot hear, can be picked up by various animals. The new research sought to determine whether insects also respond to these signals.
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In one experiment, moths were given a choice between two boxes: one with ultrasonic sounds recorded from a thirsty tomato plant, and one silent. The moths gravitated toward the sound, seemingly interpreting it as a cue that a plant—albeit stressed—was present. When researchers blocked the moths’ hearing organs, the insects no longer showed a preference, confirming that sound alone influenced their behavior.
But when given a choice between two healthy plants—only one accompanied by distress sounds—the moths laid eggs on the silent plant. That suggested they preferred healthy plants when visual and olfactory cues were present.
Interestingly, the insects did not react the same way to male moths emitting similar sounds. “When deciding where to lay their eggs, female moths respond specifically to plant-emitted sounds rather than to similar sounds made by males,” the researchers explained.
Published in the journal eLife, the study opens a window into the lesser-known ways plants and animals communicate—through the air, in frequencies most humans never hear.
