Question

"The Ant, Butterfly, and the Oregano Plant"
by Nsikan Akpan

[S]cientists had never observed any direct contact between adult Large Blues and Myrmica ants. The pregnant butterflies don’t spot the nests from above, since the flyers lay their eggs during a time of day when the ants are underground. Plus the Myrmica ants rarely climb the stems of oregano plants or leave a chemical trail that lasts long enough to be sniffed by the butterflies.

However when under duress by pests, such as when ants destroy their roots, plants are known to produce chemicals to ward off invaders. So for this study, Barbero and her colleagues grew oregano in enclosed terrariums with Myrmica ants, and then collected the chemical scents emitted by the plant.

The researchers found that the plants made twice as much of a chemical agent called carvacrol versus normal plants grown without Myrmica ants.
Use the passage to answer the question.

Drag each item to the correct location.

(1 point)

What the Scientists Already Know What the Scientists Learn

Answer 1

What the Scientists Already Know
- Scientists had never observed direct contact between adult Large Blues and Myrmica ants; pregnant butterflies don’t spot nests from above (they lay eggs when ants are underground), and Myrmica ants rarely climb oregano stems or leave long-lasting chemical trails.

What the Scientists Learn
- Oregano plants grown with Myrmica ants produced twice as much of the chemical carvacrol compared with plants grown without the ants.