Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Science

Oil beetle larvae smell like flowers to manipulate bees and sneak into their nests

For the first time, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, has demonstrated that insects can mimic floral scents to manipulate pollinators.

Oil beetle larvae smell like flowers to manipulate bees and sneak into their nests
Image: Phys.org
For the first time, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, has demonstrated that insects can mimic floral scents to manipulate pollinators.

Originally published at Phys.org

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