Baby butterflies fool ants into taking care of them

"These caterpillars use a surprisingly complex rhythm like a secret knock to convince the ants to come fetch them. That's according to research published on February 25 in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, which found that caterpillars can keep a beat called double meter that has so far been identified only in a couple of primates."

"Her focus is on how rhythm shapes communication. She expanded to insects when colleagues approached her and noted that these caterpillars were somehow internally generating vibrations that seemed to mimic the pitch of a queen ant. The scientists wondered whether the caterpillars might have been matching the ants' rhythm as well."

Certain caterpillars employ a sophisticated survival strategy by manipulating ants into carrying them into their nests, where they receive food and shelter. Recent research reveals these caterpillars generate vibrations that mimic queen ant signals and follow a complex rhythmic pattern known as double meter, previously identified only in primates. Scientists collected ant nests and caterpillars from nine butterfly species with varying degrees of ant dependence to study this communication mechanism. The caterpillars produce vibrations by unknown means, matching both the pitch of queen ants and their rhythmic patterns to deceive ants into providing care.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com