Amorpha juglandis, the walnutsphinx, is the only species in the monotypic moth genus Amorpha, which is in the family Sphingidae, erected by Jacob Hübner in 1809. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. The North American walnutsphinxcaterpillar produces a whistle thatsounds just likea songbird's alarm call--and the whistle seems to startle birds. But such is not the case with the WalnutSphinxcaterpillar. When touched or otherwise startled and annoyed, the caterpillarsounds a bit likea screeching bird. Some have referred to this as tweeting or squeaking. When attacked, the North American walnutsphinx lets out a full-body scream that can reach up to 80 decibels in volume. The walnutsphinxcaterpillar is a popular treat among songbirds. But it has a clever way of clapping back. Photo: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Creative. We’ve all had to deal with caterpillars in the garden, but the North American walnutsphinxcaterpillar has an interesting defense according to a story posted on the National Audubon Society’s web site. When attacked it lets out a scream thatsoundslikeabird in distress. Caterpillars can be pests in the garden, but did you know they can be dangerous? The Saddleback caterpillar have spines that can inflict a nasty...While birds are a common nuisance to anyone growing fruit, there are also a number of insect and gastropod pests that can be a problem. The scientists put walnutsphinxcaterpillars on twigs in cages with yellow warblers and patiently filmed the encounter. Surprisingly, when the birds attacked, the caterpillars whistled and the bird typically flinched and hopped or flew away. When the birds came close, the caterpillars emitted the whistling sound, startling and frightening the birds. All of the caterpillars remained unscathed for this reason. Their study is documented in "The Journal of Experimental Biology." Posts about walnutsphinxcaterpillar written by roadsendnaturalist.Forget your trouble Try to be Just like the cheerful chickadee And whistle while you work. ~Alternative lyrics to the Disney song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Walnutsphinxcaterpillar 1. Caterpillar uses screams to keep birds at bay.The North American walnutsphinxcaterpillar is certainly a unique little bugger in that when it’s attacked, it will let out a scream that can reach up to 80 decibels in volume. The tomato hornworm caterpillar looks eerily likea tomato plant. It is bright green with a red horn on its head, along with eight v-shaped markings on its underside ‒ perfect for hiding on the tomato plant.The walnutsphinxcaterpillar makes high pitched whistles that frighten birds. The North American walnutsphinxcaterpillar (Amorpha juglandis) produces a variety of whistling noises when pinched. Limited observations indicate that this causes avian predators to retreat, leaving the caterpillar alone. The walnutsphinxcaterpillar has no such trouble.The result is a shrill sound that can last for several seconds. Now Jayne Yack, a neuroethologist at Carleton University who made the spiracle discovery, has found the high-pitched noises dissuade hungry birds. It is funny when the tiny caterpillar of the walnutsphinx Amorpha juglandis suddenly emits a high-pitched noise. Thus sound scares birds, as Amanda Dookie and colleagues witnessed, so that they will refrain from picking the caterpillar. Why are birds startled by this whistling caterpillar?
