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Infrared radiation is an ancient pollination signal.
Wendy A Valencia-Montoya1,2, Marjorie A Liénard3, Neil Rosser4
1Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Plants use heat as an ancient pollination signal. Beetles detect this infrared radiation with specialized antennae, revealing a deep-time shift in plant-pollinator communication strategies.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Insect behavior
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Pollination relies on sensory cues like color and scent.
- The role of heat production in plant pollination is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if plant-generated thermal infrared radiation functions as a pollination signal.
- To elucidate the mechanisms of heat production and infrared detection in plant-pollinator interactions.
Main Methods:
- Studied mitochondrial adaptations for thermogenesis in plant reproductive structures.
- Examined infrared detection mechanisms in beetle antennae, including thermosensitive ion channels.
- Conducted comparative analyses of pollination signaling evolution.
Main Results:
- Plant reproductive structures generate heat via mitochondrial adaptations in a circadian pattern.
- This thermal infrared radiation is sufficient to attract specific beetle pollinators.
- Beetle antennae possess infrared-activated neurons tuned to host plant thermogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Plant-generated thermal infrared radiation is an ancient pollination signal.
- This infrared signaling predates color-based pollination, indicating an early evolutionary role.
- The findings reveal a deep-time transition towards color-dominated signaling in flowering plants.
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