Close Encounters
Why Thrips Might Be the Unknown Heroes of Pollination
Thrips, tiny insects often seen as pests, play a key role in pollinating many plants.
Close Encounters
Lured by Litter? An Australian Tree that Fools Its Pollinator by Mimicking Dead Leaves
A rainforest flower has evolved to look and smell like a pile of dead leaves, convincing enough to trick a beetle into pollinating it.
Close Encounters
Fire, Bees, and Ants: How Apodolirion buchananii Masterminds its Reproduction
A unique South African plant brings together fire, bees, and ants in a clever strategy to ensure its survival and reproduction.
Close Encounters
The Secret of a Plant’s Sexual Attraction Is Betrayed by the Shadow of Its Scent
Botanists discover that plants seeking to sexually attract a pollinator may be hiding their stocks of potent perfumes in overlooked alkenes.
Close Encounters
Hummingbirds in the City: How Urban Life Shapes Their Role as Pollinators
A recent study shows that cities are transforming hummingbird behaviour, favouring generalist interactions with plants and altering the structure of plant-pollinator networks.
Close Encounters
Bees avoid wildflowers experiencing drought
New research reveals drought-stressed wildflowers produce smaller flowers with less nectar, causing bees to avoid them.
Close Encounters
Soil moisture does not predictably affect pollination success
A four-year study in the Colorado Rockies reveals unexpected interactions between pollination and soil moisture in wildflower reproduction, challenging current predictions about plant responses to environmental change.
Close Encounters
The Role of Pollinators and Climate in Shaping Floral Characteristics
A new study shows that both pollinators like bees and birds, and climate changes, influence the size, shape, and nectar of flowers in Rhododendrons.
Close Encounters
From Predator to Pollinator: Unveiling the Floral Foraging Habits of Ethiopian Wolves
When Ethiopia’s top predator licks flowers for nectar, it may be helping to shape the future of its Afroalpine ecosystem.
Close Encounters
How Orchid Bees Craft Unique Scents from Non-Floral Sources
Discover how orchid bees use surprising, non-floral sources to create perfumes that attract mates in the tropical forest.
Close Encounters
Botanists Trip Over The Light Fantastic When They Try To Understand Flower Colour
What humans see in a flower is nothing like the multi-stage sensory journey that guides insects to blooms.
Close Encounters
The Love Lies and Sweet Rewards of Australian Orchids
New research uncovers how Australian orchids seduce fungus gnats with a sophisticated blend of chemical perfumes and sugary bribes.