Treehoppers, a family of insects known for their bizarre body shapes, may have evolved to detect static electricity. Researchers at the University of Bristol suggest that the extreme morphologies of these insects could be an adaptation to increase their sensitivity to static fields.
The team found that predatory wasps emit static electricity and that treehoppers would retreat from electric fields. Using computational methods, they demonstrated that the unique body shapes of treehoppers could amplify the electric field strength around the insect, making it more sensitive to static electricity. This suggests that treehoppers may be able to distinguish between friendly and hostile insects by detecting electrical charges.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Sam England, believes that this research provides a new avenue for understanding how organismal morphology is driven by environmental factors. The team hopes to explore the adaptive value of different treehopper morphologies in various electrical environments.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-07-static-electricity-factor-evolution-extreme.html