Katydids' weird ears could lead to ultrasensitive microphones

Following the discovery of a previously unidentified hearing organ in the insect’s ear, a scientist from Lincoln University will now study the role of this auditory vesicle in hearing sensitivity.

Dr Fernando Montealegre-Zapata, from the University’s School of Life Sciences, aims to understand how bushcrickets (aka katydids) pick up on ultrasonic frequencies in their natural environment. The insects communicate using the highest-pitched calls in nature (130-150kHz), which are not detected by humans. The male produces sound by rubbing its wings to attract distant females.

In a statement Dr Montealegre-Zapata said: ‘This animal can detect ultrasonic signals even at long distances. The problem is that at such high frequencies the sound travels in very short wavelengths which get diffracted, meaning the sound gets weaker as more obstacles are in the dispersive path.

‘However, the bushcricket’s small ear is still able to detect this fading ultrasonic energy at long distances. I want to test how the bushcrickets manage to do that in a field environment. The fluid in the katydid ‘cochlea’, which I named the auditory vesicle, is the key element in the hearing process. We want to investigate why this is the case and the first step is testing its sensitivity in their natural environment and revealing the chemical composition.’