This biophony has been slowed down 4 times, so that we can “attend” an ultrasonic battle happening mid-air, between a bat and a moth.
Before a sound background with several crickets and frogs, on the foreground we hear the single pulses pronounced by a bat (Tadarida teniotis), while trying to gelocate pray. After some 10 seconds, we begin to hear an intriguingly high whistle (actually inaudible by humans —from 21kHz to 25 kHz), overlapping the bat for the rest of the recording.
We know that some moths (Noctuidae) produce ultrasounds, either as alarm calls or to disguise themselves, when attacked by bats; but all the studies we consulted refer to clics and blips similar to the bats’ (sonar-ish pulses). Here we noticed sustained ultrasounds… We’ll keep investigating! The misterious discovery was made by chance, when we were visually analyzing the sonogram of the original recording.
credits
from INSECTASYNTH [2021],
released March 21, 2021
Recorded at S'Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park
Processed / Mixed at Rampa Studios by Jansky
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