First Documented Case of Plant Smelling like an Ant to Attract Pollinators
In a Tokyo greenhouse, researcher Ko Mochizuki observed an unusual phenomenon. Flies swarmed around the delicate flowers of the Vincetoxicum nakaianum plant species, which is a type of flowering dogbane native to Japan.
The blooms did not offer nectar or bright colors to attract these insects. Instead, they released a chemical signal that smelled like something the flies craved: the scent of an injured ant about to become a meal.
The plant has evolved an ingenious deception strategy, mimicking the smell of ants under attack to trick pollinators into visiting its flowers.
Author's summary: A Japanese plant species tricks pollinators with ant scent.
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