Dandelions are troublesome weeds that are detested by most gardeners. Yet dandelions also have many insect enemies in nature. However, they are able to protect themselves with their latex, a milky, ...

In tackling the enemies that feed on it, plants often use a chemical trick: they bind a sugar component to the toxin and thus deactivate it. As a result, the substance is prevented from damaging the ...

The degradation of plant defense substances by insect digestive enzymes can influence the insects' preference for certain food plants, a new study now shows for the first time. Scientists studied this ...

This release is available in German. Apart from the common European cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha), the European forest cockchafer (Melolontha hippocastani) is the most common species of the ...

Plants are not entirely at the mercy of their herbivore enemies. Often, chemical defences ensure that the plants are inedible, or even toxic, and as a result insects and other hungry animals steer ...