A recent scientific study has identified a previously unknown behavior in the animal kingdom: the ability of insect larvae to faithfully reproduce floral scents. The discovery concerns the larvae of a venomous European beetle that use chemical signals typical of flowers to attract bees. This strategy allows the larvae to be transported into hives, where they complete their parasitic life cycle. The findings broaden current knowledge of chemical mimicry and interspecies interactions involving pollinators.
The study and the discovery of olfactory mimicry
The research titled “The floral illusion: A parasitic beetle mimics the scent of flowers to attract bees”, published as a non-peer-reviewed preprint on bioRxiv, was conducted by researchers from the Max-Planck-Institut für chemische Ökologie. The study shows that larvae of the venomous European beetle Meloe proscarabaeus can imitate floral scents to attract bees. This allows them to be carried into hives, where they feed on bee eggs. It represents the first documented case of an animal chemically mimicking a flower’s scent.
An unexpected finding for researchers
According to biochemist Tobias Köllner, one of the study’s authors, the discovery was completely unexpected. The chemical profile initially appeared indistinguishable from that of a flower. Until now, no animals were known to biosynthesize floral signals to manipulate pollinators, although such mimicry could strongly influence plant–pollinator interactions.
The chemical mechanism attracting bees
Meloe proscarabaeus larvae parasitize several species of solitary bees, but the attraction mechanism had remained unclear. The study shows that the larvae release a bouquet of volatile compounds closely resembling floral scents. Chemical analyses revealed a complex mixture of monoterpenoids derived from (S)-linalool, a widespread floral volatile. Behavioral tests confirm that these substances act as floral signals, effectively attracting bees.
The implications of mimicry across biological kingdoms
Transcriptomic and functional analyses identified cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for oxidizing (S)-linalool, demonstrating that the larvae biosynthesize these plant-like volatiles de novo. Overall, the findings expand the scope of chemical mimicry across kingdoms and reveal an unexpected form of sensory deception, showing that animals can evolve biosynthetic pathways to exploit plant–pollinator communication.