Tel Aviv University scientists have provided the first direct evidence that insects respond to sounds emitted by plants. In a study published 15 July in the journal eLife, the team showed that female moths detect ultrasonic 'distress calls' from dehydrated tomato plants and use the information to decide where to lay their eggs. In controlled laboratory experiments, researchers placed moths between identical healthy tomato plants, broadcasting recorded ultrasonic clicks from one while the other remained silent. The insects consistently avoided the plant associated with the playback, confirming that their behaviour was guided by sound rather than visual or chemical cues. Additional tests in acoustic chambers ruled out alternative explanations and demonstrated that blocking the moths’ hearing organs eliminated the preference. The findings build on earlier work by the same group showing that stressed plants emit high-frequency noises beyond the range of human hearing. Lead investigators Yossi Yovel and Lilach Hadany say the discovery opens a new frontier in bioacoustics and could inform pesticide-free crop-protection strategies by manipulating sound to steer pests away from vulnerable plants.