TO MOST people the whiff of sulphur-rich compounds is repulsive. But to some
bats, certain sulphurous compounds are so attractive that a number of rainforest
flowers produce them so the bats will pollinate them, say researchers in
Germany.
Otto von Helversen and his colleagues at the University of Erlangen found
that flower-visiting bats preferred the smell of dimethyl disulphide to any
other odour. The researchers also managed to tempt bats to visit artificial
flowers in the Costa Rican rainforest using the scent (Journal of
Comparative Physiology A, vol 186, p 143).
Although the scents of flowers contain many different compounds, say the
researchers, this single component may be the key to attracting the bats.
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