Vincetoxicum nakaianum flowering in the natural habitat. (Mochizuki 2025 via SWNS) By Talker

By Stephen Beech

A plant is the first ever to be seen mimicking ants to attract pollinators.

The species of dogbane imitates the smell of injured insects to entice flies.

Researchers discovered that Vincetoxicum nakaianum - native to Japan - mimics the smell of ants attacked by spiders to attract the flies who, in the process of feeding, pollinate the flowers.

The discovery, published in the journal Current Biology , is the first case of a plant mimicking the odor of ants.

It reveals that the scope of floral mimicry is more diverse than previously imagined, according to the Japanese research team.

They explained that grass flies are attracted to the smell of their daily food: injured a

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