GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, LEAF VIBRATIONS NOW

While, at first blush, the images in this segment seem like they are all about the beautiful caterpillars featured, they are really here to help highlight this story about the leaves upon which they sit. Check out what’s good about caterpillar-induced leaf vibrations, just discovered now.

New research, conducted by scientists at the University of Missouri, showed that some plants secrete mustard oil as a defense mechanism when they sense that caterpillars are munching on their leaves.

Scientists deduce that when the leaves “feel” the feeding vibrations caused by caterpillars chewing, they get busy trying to protect themselves, biochemically. This news could be a beautiful boon to farmers.

In studying this phenomenon, a team led by Rex Cocroft, a Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at (UM), used a laser and a tiny piece of reflective material on the plant leaf to measure the movement of the leaf in response to the chewing caterpillar.

They ran an experiment, using two groups of plants. They exposed one group to the audio recordings of the caterpillars’ feeding vibrations, while the other group was exposed only to silence. 

Next the team exposed both groups of plants to the real caterpillars. They found that the caterpillars were repulsed by the group that had been exposed to the recordings of the feeding caterpillars. They determined that the leaves belonging to this group produced more mustard oil, which caterpillars hate. So the caterpillars elected to only eat the leaves that had been kept in silence.

The scientists repeated the experiment by exposing plants to other non-threatening natural environmental vibrations, such as those caused by the wind, and there was no defense triggered.

This all lets us see leaves in whole new light. If plants can be stimulated by specific predatory vibrations to produce their own insecticides and herbicides, that could mean a monumental shift in agricultural practices. Chemicals would no longer be needed. And that is a beautiful thing!

The study has been published in the journal Oecologia.

Read more about Beautiful Leaves, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including Contemplating Leaves Now.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Leaves in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 10.26.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

1. Photo: by Marvin Smith. Cecropia Moth Caterpillar.
2. Photo: Courtesy of Brisbane Insects. Wattle Cup Caterpillar.  
3. Photo: by Andreas Kay. Shag Carpet Caterpillar.
4. Photo: by gailhampshire. Yellow Tail Moth Caterpillar.
5. Photo: by Retired Army Gal. Caterpillar on leaf.
6. Photo: Courtesy of the Very Best Top 10. American Dagger Caterpillar.  
7. Photo: by eltpics. Caterpillar.
8. Photo: by Thangaraj Kumaravel. Spiky Caterpillar.
9. Photo: by Jano De Cesare. Saturnia Pyri Caterpillar.
10. Photo: by Gerardo Aizpuru. Jewel Caterpillar.