Could detecting static electricity be a factor in explaining why treehopper insects have evolved such bizarre body shapes?



Summary

Researchers propose that treehoppers’ outlandish body shapes might be an evolutionary response to static electricity. They hypothesize that these insects, being small and reliant on plant sap, accumulate a static charge from wind and movement. Odd shapes could then function as “lightning rods,” attracting or deflecting static discharges, protecting vital body parts from damage. This could explain why some treehoppers have developed elaborate, seemingly useless, pronotal structures, potentially acting as static discharge points. While further research is needed, this “static electricity hypothesis” offers a novel explanation for the extraordinary diversity and unusual morphology observed in treehoppers.

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