花蜜主要成分是糖，是植物诱导动物为其传粉的重要物质。但是，大量研究发现花蜜中普遍存在着一些与植物抗虫有关的次生代谢物质，并阻止了一些访花者拜访花朵。
最近，西双版纳热带植物园化学生态研究组、植物关系研究组和 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute 的科研人员联合研究发现，花蜜中的这些物质在浓度比较低的情况下，能够增加蜜蜂对糖的需求，从而促进蜜蜂拜访花朵，为这些植物提供更多的传粉机会。当这些物质浓度较高的时候，才阻止访花者采集花蜜。因此，花蜜中次生代谢物质在帮助植物调节与传粉者之间关系方面起着重要的作用。
该研究结果最近已公开发表于 Functional Ecology 2007年21卷96-100页。
部分英文原文：
Adaptive functions of defensive plant phenolics and a non-linear bee response to nectar components
F. LIU * J. CHEN * J. CHAI ‡X. ZHANG ‡ X. BAI ‡ D. HE * and D. ROUBIK §†
*Kunming Division, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, ‡Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Mengzi 661101, P. R. China, and §Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Unit 0948, APO AA 34002-0948, USA
Summary
1. Secondary compounds such as phenolics, usually present in floral nectar, may act in combination with sugar components to influence the evolution of pollination mutualism.
2. Previous work on the significance of secondary compounds in nectar considers honey bee responses to those compounds alone, but neglects sugar. Our experiments demonstrated that phenolic sugar syrups were attractants to free-flying Asian Apis cerana Fab. when sugar concentrations were 15–35%, but were deterrents below or above this range.
3. Synergism between nectar phenolics and sugar may thus provide a novel mechanism for plants to encourage pollinating bees and reduce energy investment in nectar, operating as exaptations by co-opting defence mechanisms against herbivores.
英文原文链接：http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2006.01200.x
