2026-07-29 マックス・プランク研究所
A cluster of European oil beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus) larvae on a blade of grass: Not only could they be mistaken for a flower at first glance, but to wild bees, their smell cannot be distinguished from the scent of many flowers. © MPI f. chemische Ökologie/ Danny Kessler
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.mpg.de/26863477/oil-beetle-larvae-smell-like-flowers-to-manipulate-bees
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2602521123
花の錯覚：寄生性の甲虫が花の香りを模倣してミツバチを引き寄せる The floral illusion: A parasitic beetle mimics the scent of flowers to attract bees
Ryan M. Alam, Danny Kessler, Heiko Vogel , +6 , and Tobias G. Köllner
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Published:July 28, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2602521123
Abstract
Animals are not known to biosynthesize floral chemical signals to manipulate pollinators, although such mimicry could profoundly shape plant–pollinator interactions. Larvae of the poisonous European blister beetle Meloe proscarabaeus parasitize multiple solitary bee species, yet the mechanism enabling host attraction has remained unresolved. Here we show that these larvae lure bees by emitting a bouquet of volatile compounds that closely resembles floral scent. Chemical analyses reveal a complex blend of monoterpenoids derived from (S)-linalool, a ubiquitous floral volatile. Behavioral assays demonstrate that these compounds function as floral-scent mimics, eliciting attraction in bees and acting as allomones (i.e., interspecific chemical signals that benefit the emitter while disadvantaging the receiver). Transcriptomic and functional analyses identify cytochrome P450 enzymes that oxidize (S)-linalool, suggesting that larvae biosynthesize these plant-like volatiles de novo. Together, these findings broaden the scope of interkingdom chemical mimicry and uncover a striking form of sensory deception in which an insect chemically assumes the signal identity of a flower, revealing that animals can evolve biosynthetic pathways to exploit plant–pollinator communication.
