When bees collect nectar, how do they hold onto the flower? Cambridge University scientists have shown that it is down to small cone-shaped cells on the petals that act like 'velcro' on the bees' feet.
Plants & Animals
May 14, 2009
0
0
(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.
Plants & Animals
Apr 15, 2009
0
0
Honeybees have been considered generalists when selecting flowering plants; in other words, they can use a wide range of different plants. However, recent research has shown that honeybees are quite selective.
Plants & Animals
Oct 4, 2023
0
95
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S., has found adding sodium to floral nectar increased both visits by pollinators and their diversity. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, ...
A new study published today in the journal Current Biology from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Royal Holloway, University of London, has discovered that a natural nectar chemical in Calluna heather called callunene can ...
Ecology
Oct 11, 2019
0
486
A new study has mapped food specialization in hummingbird communities across the Americas, leading to a rare documentation of a large scale ecological pattern. It reveals that communities with high levels of food specializations ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 2, 2016
0
676
For many people, the best start to the day is a nice, fresh cup of joe. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 15 find that honey bees find caffeinated beverages—er, nectar—irresistible ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 15, 2015
3
307
Bumblebees infected with a common intestinal parasite are drawn to flowers whose nectar and pollen have a medicinal effect, a Dartmouth-led study shows. The findings suggest that plant chemistry could help combat the decline ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 1, 2015
2
2002
Evolution is based on diversity, and sexual reproduction is key to creating a diverse population that secures competitiveness in nature. Plants had to solve a problem: they needed to find ways to spread their genetic material. ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 16, 2014
0
2
An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to research published May 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Mathias Scharmann and colleagues from ...
Plants & Animals
May 22, 2013
0
1
