Plants Respond to Pollinators’ Buzzing Sounds
Our planet relies heavily on pollinators like bees, moths, and weevils to help plants reproduce and grow. These essential pollinating species produce characteristic sounds when they visit flowers, such as wing flapping when hovering, landing, and taking off. While these sounds may seem insignificant compared to other insect noises, new research presented at the 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics suggests that plants can actually respond to the tiny wingbeats of insects.
Francesca Barbero, a professor of zoology at the University of Turin in Italy, explained that the study of plant-pollinator coevolution has primarily focused on visual and olfactory cues. However, there is increasing evidence that both insects and plants can sense and produce vibroacoustic signals.
In the study, a team of entomologists, sound engineers, and plant physiologists played recordings of buzzing sounds made by the Rhodanthidium sticticum bee near snapdragon flowers. The researchers observed that the buzzing sounds triggered the snapdragons to increase their sugar and nectar volume, as well as influence the genes that control sugar transport and nectar production.
According to the team, this response could be a survival and co-evolution strategy for the snapdragons, potentially influencing the time that pollinators spend on their flowers. Barbero noted that the ability of plants to discriminate approaching pollinators based on their vibroacoustic signals could be an adaptive strategy.
While the study showed how plants respond to pollinator sounds, it remains unclear whether plant acoustics can influence insect behavior. Barbero suggested that if insects do respond to plant sounds, it could be used to treat economically relevant plants and crops to increase pollinator attraction.
The team is continuing to analyze snapdragon responses to other pollinators to gain further insights into plant-pollinator interactions. The project, titled “Good Vibes: How do plants recognize and respond to pollinator vibroacoustic signals?”, is funded by the Human Frontier Science Program and involves collaboration between the University of Turin, I²SysBio in Valencia, and the Centre for Audio, Acoustics, and Vibration at the University of Technology Sydney.
While the research data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, the findings offer intriguing insights into the intricate relationship between plants and pollinators. This study opens up new possibilities for understanding how plants perceive and respond to the sounds of their insect counterparts, shedding light on the fascinating world of plant-pollinator communication. The Rise of Online Shopping in 2021
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