Electric charge from insect swarms make major contribution to atmospheric electricity

Researchers from both Universities of Bristol and Reading discovered that the electrical charge of insects can trigger changes in atmospheric electricity. This atmospheric electricity is similar to weather processes. So says the University of Bristol in its press release.

Roles reversed

Previously, the team have studied how different organisms use the static electric fields that are virtually everywhere in the environment. They have shown that bees and spiders use electric fields surrounding flowers for foraging and eventually migration.

“We always looked at how physics influenced biology, but at some point, we realized that biology might also be influencing physics,’ explained Dr Ellard Hunting, ecologist at Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences.

From foe to friend: harmful insects can become pollinators

An international team of researchers including Florian Etl and Jürg Schönenberger from the University of Vienna, have found that harmful insects can serve as pollinators.

The honeybee swarm directly contributed to atmospheric electricity, in proportion to swarm density. The team evaluated its relevance by calculating the electrical contribution of various swarming insect species and comparing this with common abiotic – physical, not biological, sources of charge. This revealed that the charge contribution of some insect swarms can be comparable with that of meteorologically-induced variations. It demonstrates an unexplored role of biology for physical and ecological processes in the atmosphere.

Read the complete press release here.