Produced by Annette Heist, Ruth Lichtman, and Flora Lichtman
Treehoppers, pea-sized insects of the family Membracidae, communicate with each other in an intriguing way: using jiggles. By rapidly bouncing their abdomens, they send vibrations down through their legs and into the plant they are standing on. Nearby treehoppers pick up and interpret the vibrations, which vary in frequency and pattern depending on the message being conveyed. Now, scientists are listening in, and starting to crack the treehopper code. And it turns out, the conversations are happening nearly everywhere they eavesdrop—from tropical rainforests to urban gardens. Your own backyard may in fact be hosting a cacophony of communication that is imperceptible, until you listen in just the right way.
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