By Laura Geggel, Senior
Writer | February 26, 2018 06:00pm ET
Caterpillars aren't known for
being noisy — except, perhaps, for the chomping sounds they make while munching
on leaves — but hawkmoth and sphinx moths are far rowdier, producing clicks,
whistles and other sounds when attacked by hungry predators.
However, it wasn't immediately
clear how some of these voracious insects were making such weird noises — in
particular, the Nessus sphinx hawkmoth caterpillar (Amphion floridensis), which
emits a faint cry that sounds like a mix between spitting and static.
Now, researchers have solved that
puzzle: the brownish-red caterpillars create sound the same way that jet
engines roar and tea kettles whistle, they said. [Meet the
Colorful Nocturnal Moths of 'Mariposas Nocturnas' (Photos)]
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