Although the rapid expansion of wind energy is essential for achieving carbon net zero targets, it may conflict with ecological objectives aimed at conserving and enhancing biodiversity. Birds in general are susceptible to colliding with wind turbines, and the impact of these structures may be especially significant for certain species. By examining how birds acquire, process and respond to environmental information, we propose a new collision mitigation approach that integrates sensory ecology with gaze strategy, flight behaviour and natural avoidance mechanisms. To enhance collision avoidance, we propose investigating blade patterns that alter the optic flow perceived by birds-the dynamic visual contrast resulting from their movement through the environment. Empirical behavioural research is now needed to assess the effectiveness of these designs. Given the diversity of affected species and environments, there may be no universal solution, and mitigations must also take account of the practical implications for developers and manufacturers. Our aim is to inspire and guide new research towards bio-informed solutions that protect wildlife without inhibiting clean energy generation.

Wind power has been at the forefront of renewable energy investment, but bird fatalities from turbine collisions remain a key ecological and social concern. Increasingly, how principles from sensory ecology might reduce collisions by enhancing the detectability or aversiveness of turbine blades have been investigated. In nature, aposematic species use high-contrast colors and striped patterns to warn predators of their unprofitability. These signal elements are effective due to their conspicuousness across variable natural scenes, memorability, generalisability from mimicry, and exploitation of innate color aversions. This begs the question: might employing biologically inspired turbine warning colors help birds to avoid turbine blades? Here, we used a screen-based “game” experimental setup to test the behavioral responses of wild-caught great tits (Parus major) to 3 existing wind turbine patterns (white, red-striped, and single black blade) as well as a novel biologically inspired aposematic pattern. Tits were less likely to approach and, when they did approach, took significantly longer to approach patterned than uniform white blades. This effect was strongest for our bio-inspired pattern. Our work supports the need for further investigation into the use of warning patterns to reduce bird collisions with wind turbines.

ABSTRACT Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among Belizean Maya and Garifuna communities, this paper forefronts the therapeutics of sensory experience in traditional healing practice. Exploring the sensory aspects of daily ecological interactions and asking which ways community heritage practices become constitutive of healing practices, it engages the embodied ecological heritage (EEH) framework to ask how these practices respond to ongoing forces of imperial projects. This paper brings together research around Indigenous land rights and identity-making in times of change with the author’s personal experience of grief and collective healing toward a sensory ecology of therapeutics as a responsive, anti-colonial, community healing practice.

Rhodopsin evolution suggests the ancestral bird lineage underwent a shift from dim-light environments to niches characterized by brighter conditions. Despite this, little is known about functional variation of rhodopsin or its consequences for sensory ecology in crown birds. Here, we performed in vitro expression and determined the retinal release rate and spectral tuning of rhodopsin pigments in 16 extant bird species, including seven members of two clades adapted to nocturnal niches, namely owls and nightbirds (nightjars and allies). We found that rhodopsin retinal release was conserved in owls but accelerated in nightbirds, suggesting adaptation for higher temporal resolution in dim light. The oilbird (Steatornis caripensis), which inhabits caves and uses echolocation, showed the fastest release rate, possibly representing convergent evolution with echolocating bats that exhibit similar kinetics. Unexpectedly, the flightless cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) exhibited a blue-shifted spectral tuning of rhodopsin relative to its close relative, the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae). Blue-shifted rhodopsins were also identified in another bird, the white-bellied erpornis (Erpornis zantholeuca), and in a terrestrial mammal, the okapi (Okapia johnstoni), but not in its close relative, the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Thus, the blue-shifted rhodopsin, normally associated with deep-sea or fossorial amniotes, appears to have undergone convergent evolution in these three lineages, suggesting possible visual adaptation to dim-light conditions in forest habitats.

Warming effects on floral volatile organic compounds and plant-pollinator interactions in tropical ecosystems.

Leafcutter bees and their leaf resources: ecology, behavior, and conservation.

Caterpillars (larval Lepidoptera) are one of the most ecologically and evolutionarily significant taxa on Earth. As both feeders and food, they shape the dynamics of enumerate ecosystems on land. Key to this prominent role in nature is the sensory systems that inform, guide, and trigger their behaviour. Gaining an understanding of caterpillar sensory ecology therefore promises to reveal fundamental insights into the broader principles of ecology and evolution, conservation and management, within and beyond the Lepidoptera. To facilitate such an understanding, here we review the existing literature on the sensory physiology and ecology of all currently recognised sensory modalities in caterpillars, namely vision, hearing, vibration detection, touch, electroreception, chemoreception, hygroreception, thermoreception, and graviception. In each of these sensory modalities, we also explore the current evidence surrounding the threat of anthropogenic sensory pollution. Taken together, this review reveals the great depth and breadth of research into caterpillar sensory ecology, making clear the value of caterpillars to neuroethology, but also of neuroethology to caterpillars. However, many of the attributes that caterpillars bring to neuroethological research are yet to be taken advantage of. For example, there is currently a lack of comparative sensory system studies on caterpillars, utilising their ecological diversity and existing phylogenetic data. We also highlight many considerable knowledge gaps, most pertinently, the need to identify the sensors responsible for each sensory modality in caterpillars, and to characterise the potential effects of sensory pollution across all of these modalities.

Insects rely on sophisticated odor-tracking mechanisms to locate mates and food sources, or follow conspecific trails, in both two (e.g. substrate-based tracking by ants and termites) and three (e.g. airborne pheromone plume tracking by flying insects) dimensions. These behaviors rely on the integration of multisensory information and understanding them requires us to draw upon principles from odor transport physics, odor chemistry and sensory ecology. Airborne odor plumes are typically heterogeneous and turbulent, delivering chemical cues in intermittent bursts, while ground-based odor trails are more stable and localized. Hence, insects employ fundamentally distinct strategies to navigate these environments, shaped by the physical and chemical properties of the odorants. Insect odor-tracking behavior is mediated by an array of sensory modalities, including chemosensory, visual, mechanosensory and thermal inputs. Experimental approaches in both laboratory and field settings have revealed how insects integrate these cues to successfully identify odor sources under complex environmental conditions. Comparative studies, such as those examining diurnal versus nocturnal tracking, highlight how sensory prioritization shifts with ecological context, revealing adaptive neural integration mechanisms. This article reviews the behavioral strategies insects use for odor tracking in air and on the ground, focusing on the role of multisensory integration and the vulnerability of these behaviors to sensory noise. Emerging research on environmental disruptions, such as artificial light at night and air pollution, highlights the ecological threats to odor-mediated behaviors. By synthesizing insights from diverse insect taxa, we examine how sensory noise and anthropogenic change can impair essential behaviors such as foraging and mating.

Mutualistic interactions between night-blooming flowers and their nocturnal pollinators present unique challenges for both partners. Although most flowering plants and pollinators are diurnal, nocturnal pollination is not uncommon. In dim light conditions, flowers must remain attractive to pollinators, whereas pollinators must detect, discriminate and remember floral cues amid a noisy and variable sensory landscape. Both moths and bats are particularly well known for their roles as nocturnal pollinators. Yet, our understanding of the sensory ecology of these and other lesser-studied nocturnal pollinators remains limited. Little is known about the dependence of their activity and behaviour on daily fluctuations in natural night-time light levels, the circa-monthly lunar cycle, or the sensory adaptations that facilitate pollination. These knowledge gaps are concerning given the global spread of artificial light at night (ALAN), which envelops much of the Earth's surface. Current research on the responses of nocturnal pollinators to ALAN is fragmented, revealing effects that vary by both species and type of lighting. However, the knock-on effects of these responses remain poorly understood. In this Review, I discuss current knowledge and identify critical gaps across four themes, namely: (1) nocturnal pollinator activity in relation to natural ambient light levels and lunar phases; (2) the effects of ALAN on the visual ecology of nocturnal pollinators; (3) the consequences of ALAN for plant-pollinator interactions; and (4) unresolved questions concerning the sensory ecology of nocturnal pollinators and how disruptions may scale to affect broader plant-pollinator dynamics under increasingly illuminated night skies.

This paper addresses a long-standing debate concerning the information-conveying function of sensory systems. The debate comes into focus with sensory systems in their most elemental form. These most basic systems consist of structurally distinct receptor (input) and effector (output) units. The receptor element has evolved under selective pressure exerted by an environmental stimulus and the effector has evolved under selective pressure exerted by a positive or negative affordance (a resource or threat). Take, for example, moth auditory systems dedicated to responding to the threat of predation posed by bats: the input side has been shaped by high-frequency sound, while the output (flight response) is adapted to the threat. When a sensory system has been shaped in this way by both a stimulus and an affordance, we face a question fraught with controversy. Does the system have the job of reporting on the stimulus or the affordance? Karen Neander has argued convincingly that the viewpoint from mainstream cognitive science supports the stimulus answer. The aim of this paper is to show that basic sensory systems also channel information about affordances. The argument of the paper draws on foundational assumptions of sensory ecology, a branch of biology concerned with the informational needs of organisms and how organisms have evolved to satisfy these needs. The viewpoint from sensory ecology complements the perspective familiar from cognitive science, revealing a critical role for sensory information about affordances.

Protactile language, a tactile language that has emerged within the DeafBlind community in the United States over the past two decades, challenges conventional assumptions about language, modality, and communication. Originating from a grassroots movement to center touch as a valid epistemology, protactile has developed distinct linguistic structures grounded in contact space, reciprocity, and embodied intersubjectivity. This article reviews the emergence and linguistic development of protactile, highlighting key structural innovations and areas of ongoing research. We discuss how protactile reconfigures foundational concepts such as phonology and interactional structure. We also present ethical considerations involved in studying a community-based language—emerging or otherwise—and emphasize the need for research practices grounded in collaboration and accountability. By centering the tactile experience and DeafBlind lived experiences, protactile contributes to a broader understanding of human language, how it functions, and how it emerges within diverse sensory and cultural ecologies.

Abstract Seed dispersal by animals is critical to both animal and plant ecology. Among species, fruits show a tremendous diversity of traits such as colour, scent, texture and size. Recent studies demonstrated a significant degree of variation in fruit traits within species as well. This often-overlooked variation may play a critical role in animal–plant interactions as they can inform fruit selection and be the basis for the evolution of interspecific variation. Yet data on the role of intraspecific variation on animal behaviour are rare. We combine behavioural and fruit trait data to test whether sensory ecology is driven by: (H1) intraspecific variation in fruit traits; and/or (H2) traits that are correlated with fruit quality. Our overarching hypothesis is that variation within a species will lead to differential deployment of senses across species. We collected sensory behaviour of wild red-bellied lemurs and quantified intraspecific variation in the traits of six consumed fruit species. We found support for both: the use of olfaction was significantly associated with both intraspecific variation in fruit scent and its association with sugar content. This underscores the significance of intraspecific variation in plant traits to animal sensory ecology, as well as their potential implications for fruit trait evolution.

The Sakhalin pine sawyer, Monochamus saltuarius Gebler, 1830 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a newly discovered insect vector of the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) in China. Despite its ecological importance, the detailed morphology of its sensory systems remains largely unexplored. This study presents comprehensive ultrastructural analysis of the compound eyes and stridulatory organs in adult M. saltuarius, with a focus on sexual differences. Our morphometric results revealed pronounced sexual dimorphism: males possessed significantly larger compound eyes in terms of total area and perimeter. Furthermore, all three types of ommatidial facets (hexagonal, pentagonal, and quadrilateral) exhibited significantly greater area, perimeter, and diameter in males. Interestingly, while the total number of ommatidia and the counts within the dorsal and ventral eye regions showed no significant sexual difference, they were strongly positively correlated with body length in both sexes. Regarding the stridulatory organs, key morphological features including the transverse diameter, longitudinal diameter, and width of the lateral sulcus of the stridulatory file were also significantly greater in males. In contrast, no sexual dimorphism was detected in the width or density of the stridulatory teeth. These findings collectively indicate a significant investment in sexually dimorphic sensory organs in M. saltuarius, which we hypothesize is closely linked to sex-specific behavioral roles, particularly in active mate searching, courtship displays, and intrasexual competition. This research provides a crucial morphological foundation for understanding the species’ visual and acoustic communication, supporting future work on its sensory ecology and the development of behavior-based control strategies for pine wilt disease.

Pollination syndromes describe convergent floral traits linked to specific pollinator groups. While conceptually useful, the application of this framework to diverse insect assemblages, such as Diptera, remains challenging due to their functional heterogeneity. Recent studies have therefore proposed narrowing dipteran pollination into more precise syndromes. In this context, preliminary field observations of flower visitors to Succisella microcephala suggest a potential case of specialisation towards tachinid flies. Despite its generalist-like floral morphology, S. microcephala exhibits geographic variation in corolla colour and contrasting pigmentation between the corolla tube and lobes. Field observations revealed that populations with darker, more contrasting, flowers were predominantly visited by tachinid flies, which were particularly abundant at higher elevation sites, where Deschampsia cespitosa, an important food plant for moth larvae – the main larval hosts of tachinids – was also abundant. These observations suggest a potential adaptive relationship between floral pigmentation and tachinid attraction. Comparative evidence from other European taxa (e.g., Neotinea ustulata) further supports the hypothesis of shared, visually mediated traits favouring tachinid attraction and pollination. Additionally, the proximity between flowering and fruiting structures, and the striking resemblance between the dark red immature diaspores of S. microcephala and the similarly pigmented globular floral structures in plants associated with tachinid pollination, raise the novel possibility of diaspore-mediated pollinator attraction. Here, we suggest that dark colour structures may be associated with tachinid pollination and tachinid flies may act as potential drivers of an as-yet undescribed pollination syndrome. Succisella microcephala represents a promising system to investigate the potential convergence of floral and diaspore traits under pollinator-driven selection and tachinid sensory ecology.

Abstract Insects rely on sophisticated olfactory systems to decode dynamic environmental cues for survival. While recent studies highlight microbiota‐mediated modulation of insect behavioural plasticity, the molecular mechanisms underlying such microbial influence remain elusive. Here, we reported that Bactrocera dorsalis gut symbiont Enterobacter sp. (MU‐1) can shift host olfactory‐guided behaviour. When adult B. dorsalis individuals had low endogenous levels of MU‐1, they exhibited avoidance of environmental MU‐1. Conversely, at normal physiological levels, they displayed a preference for MU‐1. Subsequent research indicated that MU‐1 promotes the development and growth of B. dorsalis larvae. Further transcriptome sequencing of adult heads identified four odorant receptors ( OR83a , OR67c , OR67d‐like , OR24a ) that were upregulated after antibiotic treatment. qRT‐PCR validation pinpointed OR67c as the only receptor affected by MU‐1 levels. RNA interference then found that OR67c is implicated in detecting the MU‐1 signal. Our findings unveil a tripartite interplay between gut bacteria, chemoreceptor tuning and behavioural adaptation, establishing a novel mechanism for host‐microbe crosstalk in insect sensory ecology.

Iris color is a conspicuous and diverse trait across animals, but its evolutionary drivers are poorly understood. In over 1,000 species of Tyranni passerines, we tested hypotheses relating iris color to signaling and camouflage, its main putative functions. We expected that, if playing a role in signaling, brighter irises would be positively associated with the strength of social and sexual selection as well as signal conspicuousness, i.e., larger relative eye sizes and contrasting, darker plumage colors around the eyes (contrasting local backgrounds). If aiding in camouflage, darker irises would be associated with higher vulnerability to predation, darker habitats, larger relative eye sizes, and matching, darker plumage colors around the eyes (matching local backgrounds). In support of the signaling hypothesis, we found that brighter irises are associated with darker plumage around the eyes, larger body sizes, territoriality, and sexual size dimorphism. In support of the camouflage hypothesis, we found that darker irises are associated with higher vulnerability to predation (exposed nests, migratory behavior, and terrestrial lifestyles) and larger relative eye sizes, which are associated with darker habitats. Our findings suggest that bright irises are social/sexual signals mostly associated with species under weaker selection favoring camouflage, which has implications for sensory ecology and macroevolutionary patterns of visual signaling.

Sensory Ecology and Ecosystem Stability: Vole–Apple Tree Interactions Across Altitudinal Gradients in Kashmir

Cerci function as crucial sensory organs in insects, featuring a diverse array of sensilla on their surface, analogous to those found on antennae. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we characterized the ultrastructure and distribution of cercal sensilla in Hierodula patellifera (H. patellifera) and Statilia maculata (S. maculata). Results show that the cerci of H. patellifera and S. maculata are highly similar, with main differences observed in the number of cercal articles and the length of cerci. The cerci of both species and sexes are composed of multiple cylindrical articles, and there is variation in the number of types of sensilla on their surface articles within sex and individuals. Females possess more cercal articles than males, and their cerci are generally longer than those of males. In both sexes of these praying mantises, four types of cercal sensilla were identified: sensilla filiformia (Sf), sensilla chaetica (Sc), sensilla campaniformia (Sca) and cuticular pore (CP), with sensilla chaetica further classified into two subtypes (ScI, ScII). Sc are widely distributed over the entire cerci, while Sf are distributed in a circular pattern on the cercal articles. While the overall distribution patterns of cercal sensilla were conserved between the sexes, significant sexual dimorphism was observed in the morphological parameters of the sensory hairs, including their quantity, length, and basal diameter. Based on distinct sensilla arrangements on the cerci, we propose a novel zoning of the cerci into four parts (I-IV), which reflects a functional gradient specialized for reproductive roles: the proximal region is enriched with robust mechanoreceptors likely involved in mating and oviposition, the central region serves as a multimodal hub for integrating courtship and mating cues, and the distal region is simplified for close-range substrate assessment. These findings highlight the adaptive evolution of cercal sensilla in relation to reproductive behaviors and provide a morphological basis for future studies on mantis phylogeny and sensory ecology.

The Southern Lesser Bushbaby Galago moholi is a small, nocturnal, strepsirrhine primate, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously considered a strict dietary specialist on tree exudates and insects, recent observations have revealed hitherto unappreciated plasticity in its feeding behaviour, encompassing fruits and even small vertebrates. While arthropods are an important seasonal component of the diet of this species, we still have little idea of the types of insect prey taken in nature, or the extent of any preferences among arthropod taxa. Here, I document behavioural observations made of G. moholi foraging at a moth trapping light on two occasions in November 2024 in Limpopo (Republic of South Africa), including details of feeding preferences and previously undocumented foraging vocalisations. To understand species-level preferences among potential insect prey, I presented an individual G. moholi with various prey types and recorded which were consumed. In addition, using male Driver Ants Dorylus helvolus, I experimentally manipulated prey items to gauge the relative importance of prey appearance, movement, and sound in determining their attractiveness to G. moholi. Lepidoptera were strongly favoured among available prey options, with increased discrimination applied to other groups such as Coleoptera and Hemiptera. Both sound and movement were important in determining predation from G. moholi. Although limited by low replication, these observations are the first to document species-level discrimination and preferences among a wide range of insect prey in wild G. moholi. Building a clearer picture of the dietary ecology of this species is vital for its conservation, and for better understanding its functional role in woodland food-webs. Future studies should seek to employ more systematic experimental approaches on captive and wild individuals (i) to clarify the traits that make different arthropod taxa suitable/attractive prey for this species, and (ii) to further explore the sensory ecology of G. moholi foraging, particularly the relative role of vision and audition.

Hematophagy has evolved independently numerous times across a variety of arthropods. Many of these blood-sucking animals, like kissing bugs or mosquitoes, transmit infectious diseases, resulting in numerous studies describing their sensory systems or ecology. Other species, like bed bugs or head lice, are not considered life-threatening but still elicit concern as a hygiene problem worldwide. Revealing the anatomy of the nervous systems in these arthropods expands our understanding of how they process environmental stimuli and locate hosts. Neural structures and the neuromodulators they express may be putative targets for vector control. In this review, we identify the known neuroanatomy of hematophagous arthropods, focusing on bed bugs, kissing bugs, lice, mosquitoes and other flies, and, finally, ticks. We also describe knowledge gaps and suggest areas of future study.