Scientists Reconstruct Songs From A 150-Year-Old Bug

There’s only one known specimen for this species of katydids — but it’s preserved wings give hints to its song structure.

Aug 10, 2022 6:00 PMAug 10, 2022 6:01 PM

This species was described some 150 years ago, based on a single specimen, which is deposited in the Natural History Museum in London. No other species have been found since, and the specimen is highly deteriorated. Based on the recoverable features, this drawing shows how the insect might look in real life.

(Credit: Charlie Woodrow, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))

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It’s the stuff of science fiction — but according to a new study, researchers can use high-precision lasers and bug wings to figure out what dead insects sounded like.

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