Caterpillars Use Rhythm To Manipulate Ants

Researchers led by Chiara De Gregorio at the University of Warwick report on Feb. 25 in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences that gossamer-winged butterfly caterpillars use soil-borne vibrational signals to mimic ant colony rhythms. The team recorded nine caterpillar species and Tetramorium and Myrmica ants in northern Italy, showing ant-dependent larvae match temporal patterns to gain adoption and protection. The work suggests rhythm-based communication plays a functional role in interspecies integration.