Moths grow ‘stealth’ fur to thwart bats’ sonar

Moths use a “stealth coating” similar to those on military aircraft to avoid being eaten by bats, say scientists.

Over millions of years, some moths have developed the furry coating, which absorbs the sonar signals bats use to locate their prey in the same way as the coating on stealth fighters and bombers soaks up enemy radar.

Dr Thomas Neil, the lead scientist, from the University of Bristol, said the furry shield on the moths’ thorax “provides substantial acoustic stealth at all ecologically relevant ultrasonic frequencies”.

The research was presented at the Acoustical Society of America’s annual meeting in Victoria, Canada.