Duriong the experiment, beetles were tagged with ultraviolet dyes to track their movements between male and female cycad plants (photo credit: Michael Calonje). The plant kingdom is utterly fascinating and still has a lot to be discovered. From plants that can attack animals to those that give electric shocks, these botanicals are far from fully understood. One such plant species that has created waves in the botanical community is cycads.. These ancient plants can raise their own temperature, like a microwave oven. How cool is that! While the reason for this strange behaviour was previously unknown, it has now been uncovered that they do so to attract insects for pollination. As these plants heat themselves up, an invisible signal is released that helps insects find them in the dark.. Interestingly, cycads have existed on Earth since the time of dinosaurs and are often described as “living fossils.” Unlike modern flowering plants that depend on bees or butterflies, cycads are mainly pollinated by beetles. Since beetles are small, nocturnal, and live in dense rainforests, where spotting plants is not easy, this unique heating mechanism comes in handy.. Long before insects evolved, cycads used to heat up to attract beetles for pollination (Image Credit: Michael Calonje). But why do they heat up?. The latest research published in the Science journal has revealed that when cycad plants are ready for pollination, their cone-like reproductive structures warm up — sometimes as much as 27 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the surrounding air. As the cones heat up, they emit infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye. Beetles, however, can easily sense it. This infrared glow acts like a beacon at night. Male cycad cones heat up first and release pollen. A few hours later, female cones warm up, guiding the beetles from one plant to the other in a timed sequence. This movement allows pollen to be transferred efficiently, helping the plants reproduce.. Also Read | 21-million-year-old sea cow species discovered in Qatar’s ‘Dugong Cemetery’. The study is based on elaborate lab experiments and field observations. Under the research team’s monitoring, beetles were consistently drawn to the warmest parts of the cones. When researchers created artificial cycad models and heated them, beetles still showed a strong preference for the warmer ones — even when scent and colour cues were removed. This proved that heat and infrared light were the key signals.. At a deeper level, researchers discovered that beetles have special sensory genes in their antennae that allow them to detect infrared radiation. Interestingly, similar genes are found in snakes that use infrared sensing to hunt prey. This suggests that nature has reused the same biological tools across very different species over hundreds of millions of years.. 📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram. © IE Online Media Services
