Red light regulates nectar secretion

Flowering plants produce nectar to attract insect pollinators. Some plant species, such as Lima bean, also secrete nectar from so-called extrafloral nectaries to attract ants which in turn fend off herbivores. Scientists ...

New research explains orchids' sexual trickery

A new study reveals the reason why orchids use sexual trickery to lure insect pollinators. The study, published in the January issue of The American Naturalist, finds that sexual deception in orchids leads to a more efficient ...

Honeybees not fooled by cheating flowers

(PhysOrg.com) -- Flowers that want to cheat pollinators by not paying them for their services shouldn’t try to lure them in using floral scents, scientists at Newcastle University have shown.

When flowers turn up the heat

Could a "hot" flower attract pollinators by serving as a reward in a plant-pollinator mutualism? Many flowering plants produce nectar and pollen as rewards in exchange for pollination services by insects and other animals. ...

Predicting when plants face extinction threat

(Phys.org) -- Drawn to dense stands of wildflowers in search of food, bees and other pollinators carry pollen between plants and provide a vital service for the survival of many plant species.

Impact of natural selection on nectar supply and demand

New research by the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex shows that natural selection will cause flowers to produce less nectar when pollinators are abundant, and vice versa.

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