In a potential breakthrough for plant-insect communication studies, researchers from Tel Aviv University have uncovered evidence suggesting that tomato plants emit ultrasonic sounds when under stress—signals that may be detected and interpreted by insects, particularly female moths.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal eLife, indicates that dehydrated tomato plants emit high-frequency sounds, beyond the range of human hearing, which female moths appear to use in selecting sites for laying their eggs.

“This is the first evidence of an acoustic interaction between a plant and an insect,” the research team stated.

Led by Rya Seltzer and Guy Zer Eshel in the laboratories of Professors Yossi Yovel and Lilach Hadany at the university’s Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, the findings build upon earlier work by the group that revealed plants emit ultrasonic distress signals when stressed due to dehydration or damage.

To test whether insects respond to such sounds, the researchers conducted a controlled experiment. Female moths were placed in a setting with two healthy tomato plants—one emitting pre-recorded ultrasonic signals typical of a drying plant, and the other remaining silent.

The moths overwhelmingly preferred the silent plants as egg-laying sites, implying an avoidance behaviour triggered by the acoustic cues.

Further tests ruled out other environmental factors, confirming that the moths responded specifically to the sounds and only to those associated with the tomato plants.

“Moths typically lay eggs on tomato plants to provide food for their larvae,” explained Prof Hadany. “But if the plant is stressed and less viable, it may not support larval development. That’s likely why the moths use these sounds to guide their decisions.”

Hadany added that the discovery opens up broader questions about acoustic communication in nature.

“We believe this is just the beginning,” she said. “There may be many more animals that are capable of interpreting the sounds plants emit. This could reshape our understanding of plant-animal interactions.”

The implications of the study could be far-reaching, particularly in agriculture and pest management. If stress signals emitted by crops can be identified and replicated or disrupted through acoustic technologies, farmers may gain new tools to deter pests or monitor crop health.

While inaudible to the human ear, these ultrasonic sounds fall within the detectable range for various animals, including insects and certain mammals such as bats.