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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What the Scientists Already Know What the Scientists Learn
-The butterflies do not spot the ants from above
-Oregano plants produce twice as much carvacrol as plants without Myrmica ants
-The butterflies do not follow a chemical trail left by the ants
-Many plants produce chemicals to ward off invaders
1 answer
What the Scientists Already Know
What the Scientists Learn
