Ecological theory and observational evidence suggest that symbiotic interactions such as cleaning symbioses can shift from mutualism to parasitism. However, field experimental evidence documenting ...

Reakirt's blue butterflies were moving among the flower heads of white clover in my lawn. I presumed that they were nectaring, but I watched closely and discovered that they were ovipositing. They ...

Reakirt’s blue butterflies were moving among the flowerheads of white clover in my lawn. I presumed that they were nectaring, but I watched closely and discovered that they were ovipositing. They ...

Species have strong indirect effects on others, and predicting these effects is a central challenge in ecology. Prey species sharing an enemy (predator or parasitoid) can be linked by apparent ...

I can find no word that defines the relationship between people who feed birds and the birds who eat the food given to them. In 1879 Heinrich Anton de Bary coined the term “symbiosis” and defined it ...

In a group of plants that is famous for luring its pollinators into a death trap, one species offers its flowers as a nursery in exchange. The discovery blurs the line between mutualism and parasitism ...

Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. When they have close and long-term interactions, their relationship is known as symbiosis. In symbiosis, at least one member of the pair benefits ...

Fifty-one years ago Carole King released her album “Tapestry.” The album won the 29-year-old aspiring songwriter four Grammy Awards including Best Song of the Year for “You’ve Got a Friend.” She was ...

What prevents an exploitative individual from taking advantage of a cooperative partner? Most attempts to answer this question focus on reciprocity - exploitation may not pay, if it triggers ...

Arisaema plants are known to terminally trap their pollinators after pollination. However, in one species, a fungus gnat can not only sometimes escape from the trap, but also lays its eggs into the ...