Falling Fruit Reveals a Hidden Pact Between Plants and Pollinating Beetles

Falling Fruit Reveals a Hidden Pact Between Plants and Pollinating Beetles

When a plant drops its fruit before it fully ripens, it is often seen as a sign that something has gone wrong. However, new research shows that this process can actually help the plant survive under certain conditions. A team at Kobe University has discovered a previously overlooked dynamic between the Japanese red elder plant and a group of beetles that both harm and help the plant. Their study, published in Plants, People, Planet, describes a …