Moths can jam bats' sonar.

Many tiger moths can apparently use ultrasonic noises to interfere with bat echolocation.

SUMMARY: Some tiger moths are able to make sounds to frustrate bats which are preying on them, according to an article in the current Science magazine. Most bats use echolocation, a sonar-like ability in which they emit sound waves to locate prey, such as moths. However, it appears that some species of tiger moths (picture from Wikipedia) are actually able to jam the bat's echolocation.

These moths have an organ called a tymbal that allows them to emit ultrasonic noises in the same range which many bats use to locate prey. The noises may act as a warning to predators similar to the bright coloration used by many toxic moth species. However, since bats hunt in the dark and wouldn't be able to see the coloration, the ultrasonic chirps from the tymbals of moths with toxins may act as a substitute alarm.

Whereas the use of tymbals is widespread among tiger moth species, even among those that do not produce toxins, scientists sought to discover which of three possible answers could explain the reason for tymbals-as a warning, to startle bats, or to jam their echolocation. The researchers set up an experiment using captive bats and moths. If the sounds from the tymbals were meant as a warning, the scientists expected the rate of predation to fall off as bats learned to avoid the toxic moths. If the sounds were meant to startle bats, the predation curve should ascend as bats got used to the sound. If the tymbals were a jamming device though, the predation rate should remain low and steady as bats struggled to cope with the sounds.

Indeed, the researchers discovered the rates of feeding remained constant throughout the experiment, providing evidence that the tiger moths were actually jamming the echolocation ability of the bats. Moreover, they discovered that bats were only one-fourth as likely to find the moths whose tymbals were intact compared to moths with damaged tymbals.

(Thanks to an LSI member for bringing my attention to this article.)

To read the entire article click on this ARS TECHNICA link.

COMMENT: Why are evolutionists and creationists able to look at the same evidence and often come to such different conclusions? As the Creation museum in Kentucky emphasizes, it's all because of the starting assumptions. Because of their belief in the absolute literal truth of the creation account in Genesis, creationist scientists can explain how the scientific evidence fits in well with the Bible and the existence of an Intelligent Designer. But Darwinists, because they believe the theory of evolution to be a fact, will see things through evolution-tinted glasses.

This interesting story concerning another example of intelligent design demonstrates the latter. Because evolutionists believe moths evolved much earlier than bats, there is the problem of why these insects would need to evolve a defensive adaptation for bats if there wouldn't be any bats around for eons to come. So I was struck by this sentence in the article: "But before the moths could use the chirps for jamming bat signals, they first evolved them for other purposes." There was no explanation for such a bold statement, but it does show how one's basic beliefs can color one's thinking.

God has given bats tools such as echolocation to help them find food, but He has not left potential prey such as moths completely defenseless either. This is the most logical explanation for all the examples of the gifts given to both predators and prey which we see in the natural world around us.

As far as the spiritual world is concerned, God has also given us gifts. We have the gift of His Holy Word through which we learn of the gift of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save all mankind. We also have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who creates the faith in our hearts we need to accept Jesus as our very own Savior and to be able to look forward in anticipation to everlasting happiness in heaven. Thank you, Lord.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

Where and when will this century's longest total solar eclipse occur?

On July 22 of this year a total solar eclipse will occur over India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. The total darkness will reach its peak over the Pacific Ocean and last up to 6 minutes and 29 seconds.

Source: Discover magazine (July/August, 2009)

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