SO maybe you knew that grasshoppers have ears on their tummy, but do you know what animal species has ears on their wings? Perhaps you'd never guess this in a million years but the answer is
....... wait for it
....... wait for it
........ wait for it
butterflies!!!
This latest discovery made regarding butterfly anatomy was done on the blue morpho species (picture )that is found in the biologically diverse rainforests of Central and South America.
Morpho butterflyIn the new study, Kathleen Lucas of the University of Bristol in England and her colleagues were interested in the odd-looking hearing membrane that sits at the base of the blue morpho's wing. The tympanal membrane, as it is called, is oval-shaped with a dome at its center that kind of resembles the yolk at the center of a fried egg, Lucas said. Sound waves from, say, crackling leaves or a singing bird hit the membrane and get converted into nerve impulses by nearby sensory organs. Studies have shown that the butterfly's hearing range is anywhere between 1000 to 5000 Hz (a human's hearing range being somewhere between 20 to 20,000 Hz) but unlike human ears, a butterfly's ears is extremely sensitive to differences and changes in pitch. Which I think is rather amazing!!! After all, you only need to watch some people sing in American Idol to know that humans are not one of the species blessed with this ability.
closeup of the ear on a butterfly wing
Scientist believe that the butterfly would need such expert ears as it is perhaps essential to the survival of the insect, specifically in figuring out how and whne birds are going to attack. Lower pitch sounds would indicate the flapping of bird wings which would signal the butterfly to turn tail and run, however higher pitch sounds, like that of bird song would indicate to the butterfly that the bird has probably not spotted it yet thus eliciting the butterfly to remain at rest or stay extremely still, a posture which keeps most butterflies expertly hidden.
Amazing little fact isn't it? But why on the wings you may ask? Well, in my personal opinion, the wings ARE the largest and most prominent part of the butterfly and so I suppose it is only natural that they would be more likely to pick up sound waves than any other part of its body. And when survival is at stake, you just gotta use all you got.
Anyway many thanks to Michael for showing me this interesting piece of information.
