Meanings
- uncountablebiologyThe way an organism responds to mechanical (physical) vibrations.
Aganaspis pelleranoi females detected host larvae mainly by sensing host movements (vibrotaxis).
1994, Argentina, Rsea Sociedad Entomológica, Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 53 (1-4), page 1212 more examples
It has been said by some writers on behaviour that true telotaxis is shown only in the movements of animals towards, or away from, the light. But there can be no doubt that the scope of the category should be broadened to include vibrotaxis.
1959, Savory, Theodore Horace, 1896-, Instinctive living : a study of invertebrate behaviour, page 36Species also differ by host searching behavior and host detection such as antennal or ovipositor searching, host location by vibrotaxis, or the use of infochemicals, which may lead to exploit different microniches or host species, thus contributing to coexistence (van Dijken and van Alphen, 1998; Vet and Bakker, 1985).
2009, Parasitoids of Drosophila, London [etc.] : Elsevier Academic Press, page 15
Origin
- Ancient Greekτάξις“arrangement”
- Latinvibrāre“vibrate”
- Englishvibrotaxis
From vibro-, from Latin vibrāre (“vibrate”) + Ancient Greek τάξις (táxis, “arrangement”)
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
vibrotaxis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibrotaxis
“vibrotaxis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibrotaxis. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vibrotaxis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibrotaxis.
Source: vibrotaxis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.