Flying parasitic Worms utilize Static Electricity to Ambush Prey Midair
Researchers have discovered that parasitic nematodes employ static electricity to dramatically increase their success rate when leaping onto flying insect hosts. Teh study,led by Ranjiangshang Ran of Emory University adn detailed in recent findings,reveals a surprising intersection of biology and physics in the worms’ predatory behaviour.
The team, building on previous research into the role of electrostatics in wildlife survival strategies – such as ticks using static to aid attachment and spiders employing it in web construction – developed a method to control the electrical potential of small organisms.This allowed them to investigate the aerodynamics of nematode jumps.
Experiments focused on the interaction between nematodes and fruit flies, a common host. researchers observed that fruit flies generate hundreds of volts simply through wing flapping. To precisely measure and control this voltage, they attached tiny wires to the backs of the flies. Nematodes were induced to jump using a puff of air and moistened paper to create optimal conditions, with some trials conducted in a miniature wind tunnel to simulate natural environments.
High-speed cameras, capturing footage at 10,000 frames per second, recorded the worms’ microscopic trajectories. Computational algorithms were then used to analyze factors influencing these trajectories, including voltage, launch velocity, and drag force.
The results showed that the presence of a few hundred volts generated by a fruit fly induced an opposing charge in the jumping nematode. This electrostatic attraction significantly increased the likelihood of a successful landing – with electrostatics present, worms successfully landed on insects, whereas without it, only one out of 19 jumps were successful.
“Without electrostatics, it would make no sense for this jumping predatory behavior to have evolved in these worms,” explained ran, highlighting the energetic cost and risks associated with jumping, including predation and dehydration.
Once landed,the nematodes enter the insect host through natural openings and release symbiotic bacteria. These bacteria rapidly kill the host, typically within 48 hours, after which the nematode feeds on both the bacteria and the decaying host, laying its eggs within the cadaver.
The research underscores the complex and often surprising ways organisms utilize physical principles for survival and predation.
