Study finds oak trees delay leaves to outwit hungry caterpillars

Oak trees delay sprouting leaves to avoid being infested by hungry caterpillars — Two oak trees in the spring, with varying degrees of leaf growth. The tree on the right was more heavily infested with caterpillars last year; the delayed leaf growth is a reaction to that. (Sven Finnberg via SWNS)
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Two oak trees in the spring, with varying degrees of leaf growth. The tree on the right was more heavily infested with caterpillars last year; the delayed leaf growth is a reaction to that. (Sven Finnberg via SWNS)
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By Stephen Beech

Oak trees deliberately delay sprouting leaves by three days to avoid being infested by hungry caterpillars, reveals new research.

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The plate is empty: a caterpillar waits for the leaves to sprout. (Sven Finnberg via SWNS)
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Study finds oak trees delay leaves to outwit hungry caterpillars

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