14 DAY TRIAL // Few would ever suspect that a plain moth could have the most extreme hearing in the animal kingdom, but apparently this is indeed the case.
Specialists working with the University of Strathclyde maintain that, while researching the greater wax moth, they found that this insect can pick up on sound frequencies of up to 300kHz.
To put things into perspective, the researchers explain how, unless affected by aging, the human ear can deal with sounds of up to 20kHz.
Dolphins, which most people consider to have an excellent hearing, can sense sound frequencies of up to 160kHz.
This basically means that, as far as hearing abilities go, the great wax moth pretty much puts all other living creatures to shame.
It is believed that these insects have developed such extreme hearing skills in order to better communicate with each other and thus keep safe from bats, which happen to be their natural predators and which use similar sounds.
However, researchers are yet unable to comment on the details of the evolution process that led to this moth's having such an extreme hearing.
EurekAlert quotes Dr. James Windmill, who wished to make the following observations:
“We are extremely surprised to find that the moth is capable of hearing sound frequencies at this level and we hope to use the findings to better understand air-coupled ultrasound.”
“The use of ultrasound in air is extremely difficult as such high frequency signals are quickly weakened in air. Other animals such as bats are known to use ultrasound to communicate and now it is clear that moths are capable of even more advanced use of sound,” Dr. James Windmill further detailed on the importance of these findings.
A detailed account of this investigation and its findings is made available to the general public in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.