Toxomerus basalis: The fly that uses a killer as a babysitter
Sundews are carnivorous plants that feed on small naive insects. So why does a fly deliberately lay its eggs on the plant?
Plant Science from Cell Biology to Ecosystems
Sundews are carnivorous plants that feed on small naive insects. So why does a fly deliberately lay its eggs on the plant?
Not only do bacteria have tools to try to shut down plant defences, pathogens can also try to get the plant to direct water and food to help feed the attack.
A study of the bees of Toronto aimed to uncover what factors help or hinder urban pollinators.
Bees are more likely to turn to robbery if there are plenty of flowers that they don’t have to rob in an area.
Different types of plant interactions with a particular pathogen are characterized by the different oxylipin profiles of the host plant.
Ecologists have found that weeds are far more valuable in supporting biodiversity than we give them credit for.
Cyanobacteria can provide an important source of nitrogen for mosses, but some mosses are better at attracting them than others.
This study is the first to demonstrate pollen limitation in a mass-flowering tree.
Plants that have grown in partnership with human activity in meadows can be a great source of seeds for restoration projects, but their ability to germinate is also a problem.
A moth could be interfering with a pitcher plant’s reproduction by developing a taste for flowers – or at least parts of a flower.
Research published in Phytobiomes shows that cover crops could help improve the health of crops.
Food is critical for larvae development, so a good insect should lay her eggs away from other competition for food. That’s why scientists were surprised that female hawkmoths chose plants hosting competitors when laying eggs.
Rather than inherently being ‘male’ or ‘female’, Mercurialis annua can produce flowers as a plastic response to its environment.
By timing their visits to twilight, just as nocturnal flowers are opening, some bees can grab most of Pseudobombax longiflorum‘s pollen.