Caterpillars do react to sound, as many who’ve encountered them firsthand can attest. For years, biologist Carol Miles at Binghamton University wondered why her caterpillars jumped when she made a sudden noise. Now, research confirms that these insects don’t just sense vibrations through their feet—they actively hear airborne sounds using microscopic hairs on their bodies.
How the Study Worked 🔬
To isolate how caterpillars perceive sound, Miles’ team used an anechoic chamber: one of the quietest rooms on Earth. This allowed them to deliver sound and vibrations separately, observing the bugs’ reactions to both high- and low-frequency stimuli. The results? Caterpillars responded 10 to 100 times more strongly to airborne sounds than to vibrations.
The Role of Sensory Hairs 🦪
Removing hairs from the caterpillars’ abdomen and thorax significantly reduced their sensitivity to sound. This suggests these hairs aren’t just for touch; they’re a primary organ for detecting airborne sound. The researchers believe this evolved as a defense mechanism against predatory wasps whose wingbeats the caterpillars can pick up.
Implications for Tech 🎧
This discovery isn’t just about bugs. Ronald Miles, a mechanical engineer co-authoring the study, points out that animal hearing research could revolutionize microphone technology. By understanding how caterpillars hear, we might unlock new and more efficient ways to detect sound.
“There’s an enormous amount of effort and expense on technologies for detecting sound… We need to learn better ways to create them, and the way it’s always been done is to look at what animals do.”
The findings were presented at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan in December 2025. Ultimately, this study shows how even the smallest creatures can hold valuable lessons for human innovation.
