A species of plant has developed a system of chemical signals to cry for help when insects lay eggs on them. When the large cabbage white butterfly or gravid white butterfly females lay eggs on the leaves of the black mustard (a cabbage relative), the plant produces scents that can be detected by parasitic wasps, which come to their aid by preying on the pests. This plant has adapted these highly specific chemical reactions over thousands of years of interaction with the specific members of its habitat.
NOS themes:
- Role of chance- evolution, brought about through chance genetic variations, has allowed this species to adapt this way
- Role of motivation and curiosity- someone must have been very interested in a seemingly ordinary plant to discover this
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