Biology Professor Jayne Yack and Team Spotlighted in Mirage News
Minute warty birch caterpillars can sense the vibrations of approaching predators, and Biology Professor Jayne Yack and her team at Carleton University have shown just how finely tuned that ability is. The caterpillars distinguish the heavy, thudding footsteps of predatory ladybeetles from the lighter movements of other caterpillars. When a dangerous adult ladybeetle approaches, they freeze, fall silent, and often drop from the leaf on a silk thread, a rapid escape response that helps them avoid the predator. But when the intruder is another caterpillar, they switch to aggressive leaf‑scraping displays to defend their territory.
Read full article here: Caterpillars Alerted by Thundering Steps of Ladybeetles | Mirage News