New research from the University of Turin, the University of Warwick, and the Forestry Research Institute in Poland, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, shows how rhythm is important in the communication systems of ants and butterfly caterpillars. During their early phases of development, certain butterfly species rely heavily on ant colonies. The caterpillars are transported to their nests, where they are protected from predators and occasionally fed, receiving treatment that is similar to that allocated for colony members. In exchange, they provide saccharine secretions or employ behavioral and chemical mimicry strategies to integrate with the ants. The primary mechanism underlying these relationships was previously believed to be chemical mimicry, an evolutionary strategy in which an organism imitates chemical signals from another species or its own environment to obtain a benefit, such as odors, pheromones, and cuticular hydrocarbons. The current study reveals an additional level of complexity: caterpillars have created rhythmically coordinated vibroacoustic signals that can attract and relax their host ants. The researchers explain that "Rhythm is a fundamental component of human life: we dance to it, clap our hands in time, and instantly detect when something is out of rhythm. Until now, complex rhythmic organization had been primarily observed in primates. The discovery that ants and caterpillars also rely on finely tuned rhythmic signals to communicate is extremely exciting".