An experiment conducted by an English research team exposed caterpillars to electric fields similar to those produced by flying wasps. The caterpillars exhibited defensive behaviors, such as coiling, flailing, or biting, suggesting that prey and predator might detect each other using static electricity. Dornhaus, a behavioral ecologist, expressed skepticism regarding the effectiveness of electroreception in significantly aiding caterpillar survival. However, she noted that any advantage, even minimal, can be evolutionarily beneficial due to the high stakes of predator-prey interactions.
Ortega-Jiménez, although hesitant, recognized the potential of England’s research and indicated a desire for further data, particularly involving wild animals and their natural behaviors. He questioned which predators and prey might benefit most from electrostatic cues.
The research team highlighted the potential evolutionary advantage if survival rates improve for species with enhanced electroreception. Beth Harris, a graduate student in Robert’s lab, emphasized the intriguing diversity among species and their ecological interactions.
Research continues in Robert’s lab, focusing on whether static detection and accumulation in insects and arachnids are intentional traits. The proposition is that better electroreception or lower charge could aid survival, allowing these organisms to pass advantageous traits to future generations. Daniel Robert suggested that while not catastrophic, removing electrostatics could require many animals to adapt significantly.
Electrostatic forces, though acting over small distances, potentially have a wider influence. For instance, social bees like bumblebees, whose decision-making about flowers affects entire colonies, could find evolutionary significance in detecting flowers faster. If static charges improve pollination, they might influence plant evolution, with features of flowers perhaps serving to create specific electrostatic fields. In 2021, Robert’s research found that petunias emitted more attractant compounds when exposed to electric fields similar to those generated by bees, implying that flowers might enhance these emissions to lure nearby pollinators.