Hundreds of conversations are taking place daily among invertebrates in languages often unnoticed by humans. Beyond familiar birdsong and honeybee "waggle" dances, sophisticated communication methods are used for activities like food gathering, nest building, defending territory, attracting mates, and babycare.
Spiders, for instance, can "hear" vibrations on their webs using leg sensors. They adjust silk strands, similar to tuning a guitar string, to change its pitch and identify whether the vibration is from a potential mate, prey, or a larger predator.
Chemical scents, known as pheromones, are widely used by invertebrates. Moths create complex perfume cocktails to attract mates, while ants lay chemical trails to guide their sisters to food. Some burying beetles use chemical scents and touch to communicate while caring for their larvae.
Mimicry is another communication tool, often used for deception. Hoverflies mimic the yellow and black stripes of wasps to deter predators. Spiders and moths can mimic ants in shape, smell, and movement to live and eat within ant nests undetected. Some insects mimic parts of trees, and preying mantises can appear like flowers to ambush prey.
Communication also extends beyond invertebrates. Trees interact with bees using colour, ultraviolet light, chemicals, and electricity to guide them for pollination. Some plants beckon bugs, such as crab spiders, to attack other bugs that are harming them. The fig tree and fig wasp relationship is highly intricate, with each fig tree type having a unique scent to attract its specific wasp species.
These complex relationships have evolved over millions of years, enabling invertebrates to inhabit their niches and interact with their environment. While much communication is cooperative, it also involves competition for status, repelling predators, winning mates, and protecting territory, babies, or food. Scientists continue to uncover the details of these conversations, noting that human interference through roads, chemicals, or climate change can disrupt these vital interactions.