Flowers use bright colors and strong scents to attract honeybees to their pollen. But the stripy insects also defend them from other insects, according to a new study in Current Biology. Their buzzing noise warns off others such as caterpillars who would otherwise munch on the blooms undisturbed. Researchers in Germany, found many caterpillars possess fine sensory hairs on the front portions of their bodies that enable them to detect air vibrations, such as the sound of an approaching predatory wasp or honeybee. If a bee approaches, caterpillars stop moving or drop from the plant. Thus, bees not only transport pollen from flower to flower, but also reduce plant destruction by herbivores. __
