tech
Bugging devices: the astounding ways insects are talking and listening all around us
From spiders tuning their silken listening tools, to the beetle’s heady perfume, hundreds of conversations are happening in languages we don’t understand
TL;DR
- Invertebrates use a variety of methods to communicate, including vibrations on webs, complex pheromone scents, and mimicry.
- Spiders adjust their webs like guitar strings to 'hear' and identify what is on them.
- Moths use pheromones to attract mates, while ants use chemical trails to guide others to food.
- Mimicry is used to deceive predators or other species, with insects imitating ants, bits of trees, or flowers.
- Plants also communicate with insects, using color, light, and chemicals to attract pollinators or enlist help against pests.
- The relationship between fig trees and fig wasps is highly intimate, with each relying on the other for survival.
- While much communication is cooperative, some is aggressive, focused on status, defense, and mating.
- Human interference with these natural communication systems can cause severe environmental problems.