Two oak trees in the spring, with varying degrees of leaf growth. The tree on the right was more heavily infested with caterpillars last year; the delayed leaf growth is a reaction to that. (Sven Finnberg via SWNS)
Oak trees deliberately delay sprouting leaves by three days to avoid being infested by hungry caterpillars, reveals new research.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm%96 EC66DV 4=6G6C E24E:4 E@ @FEH:E A@E6?E:2==J 5625=J AC652E@CD H2D 56E64E65 3J D4:6?E:DED :? v6C>2?J FD:?8 52E2 7C@> D2E6==:E6]k^Am
kAm%96J 7@F?5 E92E >2?J :?D64ED[ A2CE:4F=2C=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_a`^``^_g^9F?8CJ\42E6CA:==2CD\F?=:<6=J\D@FC46\@7\42C3@?\6>:DD:@?D\C6D62C496CD\D2J^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm42E6CA:==2CDk^2m[ 92E49 :? DAC:?8 ;FDE H96? E96 EC66DV ?FEC:6?E\C:49 =62G6D 2C6 DE:== J@F?8 2?5 D@7E[ AC@G:5:?8 E96> H:E9 2>A=6 7@@5]k^Am
kAmqFE :7 @2< EC66D 2C6 962G:=J :?76DE65 3J 42E6CA:==2CD :? 2 8:G6? J62C[ E96J C624E E96 7@==@H:?8 DAC:?8 3J 56=2J:?8 E96:C =627 6>6C86?46 3J E9C66 52JD]k^Am
kAm%92E >62?D E96 42E6CA:==2CD 92G6 ?@E9:?8 E@ 62E 27E6C 92E49:?8 3642FD6 E96 @2< =62G6D 2C6 DE:== 7:C>=J 9:556? :? E96 3F5D]k^Am
kAm%96 DEC2E68J :D Q9:89=J 67764E:G6Q 2D E96 E9C66\52J 56=2J :D DF77:4:6?E E@ 5C2DE:42==J C65F46 E96 :?D64EDV DFCG:G2= C2E6[ D2J D4:6?E:DED]k^Am
The plate is empty: a caterpillar waits for the leaves to sprout. (Sven Finnberg via SWNS)
kAmp?5 :E C65F46D E96 52>286 42FD65 3J 7665:?8 @? E96 EC66 3J ddT[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DEF5J AF3=:D965 :? E96 ;@FC?2= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2EFC6]4@>^?2E64@=6G@=^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm}2EFC6 t4@=@8J 2?5 tG@=FE:@?k^2m]k^Am
kAm{625 2FE9@C $@F>6? |2==:4<[ @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]F?:\HF6CK3FC8]56^6?^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm&?:G6CD:EJ @7 (üCK3FC8k^2m[ v6C>2?J[ D2:5i Q%96 56=2J:?8 E24E:4 :D >@C6 67764E:G6 7@C E96 @2< E92? 2 496>:42= 5676?D6[ DF49 2D 3:EE6C E2??:?D :? E96 =62G6D]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 3642FD6 E96 EC66 H@F=5 92G6 E@ 6IA6?5 2 8C62E 562= @7 6?6C8J E@ :?4C62D6 E2??:? AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 5:D4@G6CJ 7F?52>6?E2==J 492?86D @FC AC6G:@FD F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 E96 @?D6E @7 DAC:?8 :? E96 7@C6DE]k^Am
kAmQxE D9@HD E92E EC66D 5@ ?@E >6C6=J C624E A2DD:G6=J E@ E96 H62E96C :? E:>:?8 E96:C =62G6D 6>6C86 3FE 2=D@ C6DA@?5 7=6I:3=J E@ 3:@=@8:42= E9C62ED]Qk^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C49 E62> FD65 DE2E6\@7\E96\2CE :?E6C5:D4:A=:?2CJ >6E9@5D 7C@> 64@=@8J 2?5 C6>@E6 D6?D:?8]k^Am
(Photo by Leticia Golubov via Pexels)
kAm!C6G:@FD=J[ D4:6?E:DED 925 E@ =23@C:@FD=J @3D6CG6 :?5:G:5F2= EC66D @? E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 ?6H DEF5J[ 2 a[c__\DBF2C6\<:=@>6E6C Whad DBF2C6 >:=6X 2C62 :? ?@CE96C? q2G2C:2 H2D >@?:E@C65 4@?E:?F@FD=J FD:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6D2]:?E^pAA=:42E:@?D^~3D6CG:?80E960t2CE9^r@A6C?:4FD^$6?E:?6=\`Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm$6?E:?6=\` D2E6==:E6k^2m 52E2]k^Am
kAm%96 C252C D2E6==:E6D AC@G:56 AC64:D6 52E2 @? E96 4@?5:E:@? @7 EC66 42?@A:6D 6G6? :? E9:4< 4=@F5 4@G6C]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C49 E62> 2?2=JK65 2 E@E2= @7 `bf[d__ :?5:G:5F2= @3D6CG2E:@?D DA2??:?8 7:G6 J62CD[ 7C@> a_`f E@ a_a`]k^Am
kAm%96 D2E6==:E6D AC@G:565 52E2 2E 2 C6D@=FE:@? @7 `_I`_ >6E6CD A6C A:I6=[ H9:49 C@F89=J 4@CC6DA@?5D E@ E96 4C@H? @7 2 D:?8=6 EC66] p E@E2= @7 af[d__ DF49 A:I6=D H6C6 2?2=JK65 24C@DD e_ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ad^_h^ad^DEF5J\7:?5D\2>2K@?\EC66D\8C@H:?8\3:886C\56DA:E6\4=:>2E6\492?86^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm7@C6DEk^2m 2C62D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C496CD D2:5 E96 J62C a_`h AC@G65 A2CE:4F=2C=J C6G62=:?8 2D E96 C68:@? 6IA6C:6?465 2 >2DD:G6 8JADJ >@E9 @FE3C62<]k^Am
kAm$EF5J 4@\D6?:@C 2FE9@C yöC8 |ü==6C[ 7C@> E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_aa^_h^a_^D4:6?E:DED\92G6\42=4F=2E65\9@H\>2?J\2?ED\=:G6\@?\62CE9^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQmyF=:FD |2I:>:=:2? &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (üCK3FC8k^2m[ D2:5i Q%96 C252C D6?D@CD C64@C565 6I24E=J H9:49 EC66D H6C6 DEC:AA65 32C6 2?5 9@H E96J C624E65 :? E96 7@==@H:?8 J62C]Qk^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C496CD D2J E96:C 7:?5:?8D 4@?4=FD:G6=J 6IA=2:? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 H9J[ :? D@>6 DAC:?8D[ E96 7@C6DE 5@6D ?@E EFC? 8C66? 2D BF:4<=J 2D E6>A6C2EFC6D H@F=5 DF886DE]k^Am
(Photo by Johannes Plenio via Pexels)
kAm!C6G:@FD 4@>AFE6C >@56=D @7E6? 42=4F=2E65 E96 DE2E6 @7 E96 7@C6DE :?244FC2E6=J 3642FD6 E96J E@@< :?E@ 244@F?E 2=>@DE 6I4=FD:G6=J Q=:76=6DDQ 724E@CD DF49 2D E6>A6C2EFC6 2?5 :8?@C6 3:@=@8:42= :?E6C24E:@?D 36EH66? A=2?ED 2?5 :?D64ED]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C496CD 6IA=2:?65 E92E EC66D 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D :? 2? Q6G@=FE:@?2CJ EF8\@7\H2CQ H:E9 C:D:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D 42FD65 3J 4=:>2E6 492?86 AFD9:?8 E96> E@ DAC@FE =62G6D 6G6C 62C=:6C[ H9:=6 AC6DDFC6 7C@> :?D64E 7665:?8 :D 7@C4:?8 E96> E@ 9@=5 324<]k^Am
kAm%96J D2J 2 <6J 25G2?E286 @7 E96 56=2J:?8 E24E:4 :D E92E :E :D E6>A@C2CJ 2?5 C6G6CD:3=6]k^Am
kAm$EF5J 4@\D6?:@C 2FE9@C p?5C62D !C:?K:?8 D2:5 2D E96 EC66D @?=J DAC@FE =2E6C 7@==@H:?8 2? 24EF2= :?76DE2E:@?[ E96 :?D64ED 42??@E 252AE A6C>2?6?E=J]k^Am
kAm!C:?K:?8[ @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]F?:G\C6??6D]7C^6?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm&?:G6CD:EJ @7 #6??6Dk^2m[ uC2?46[ 25565i Q%9:D 5J?2>:4 :?E6CA=2J :D 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 E96 7@C6DEVD 9:89 C6D:=:6?46 2?5 252AE23:=:EJ :? 2 492?8:?8 H@C=5]Qk^Am
kAm%96 E62> A=2?D 7FCE96C 6IA6C:>6?ED E@ 96=A F?56CDE2?5 E96 56=2J >6492?:D>D >@C6 AC64:D6=J]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.