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"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.

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Use the passage to answer the question.

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Based on the provided passage, here are the items that fit into the appropriate categories:

What the Scientists Already Know:

  • Scientists 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.
  • 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.

What the Scientists Learn:

  • The researchers found that the plants made twice as much of a chemical agent called carvacrol versus normal plants grown without Myrmica ants.

Feel free to drag and drop these items into the correct sections as needed!