Scientists discovered a secret deal between a plant and beetles

A study from Kobe University has uncovered a surprising partnership between Japanese red elder plants and Heterhelus beetles. The beetles pollinate the flowers but also lay eggs inside the developing fruit. The plant responds by dropping many of those fruits, yet the larvae survive by escaping into the soil. The discovery suggests that fruit drop is not punishment but a compromise that keeps the plant–insect relationship stable. In some plant insect relationships, the insect both pollinates the plant and uses the fruit as a place for its offspring to grow. Biologists refer to this type of partnership as "nursery pollination mutualism." Kobe University botanist Kenji Suetsugu... [4210 chars]