Seductive sulfurs woo wasps

Mantis Orchid (Caladenia tentaculata) Baluk William Reserve, Lysterfield, Victoria, Australia

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Amorous insect pollinators caught in the act with (methylthio)phenols

A set of hitherto unknown sulfur-based natural products that orchids produce to attract their wasp pollinators has been identified by researchers in Australia. This is the first time sulfurous pheromones have been identified in wasps, and it is rare for flowering plants to produce sulfur-based volatiles.