text: Ephedra foeminea (pictured) waits for the full moon to bloom and produces a sugary droplet to attract pollinating insects . It may not turn into a bloodthirsty beast in the moonlight, but a peculiar plant does rely on the lunar cycle to survive. Called Ephedra foeminea, the plant waits for the full moon to 'bloom' and is the only plant species so far that’s known to behave in this way. At night, the non-flowering relative of conifers secretes tiny droplets of sugary fluid to attract pollinating insects. They ooze from the plant’s female organs where seeds are produced. When a nocturnal butterfly or insect lands on one of the tasty transparent orbs at night, the pollen it’s carrying is used to fertilise the seed. Researchers from Stockholm University noticed the droplets at the same time of the year having conducted four years of research, New Scientist reported. When they went to study the plants in Macedonia, Greece and Dalmatia in Croatia in 2013, they were baffled as to why the orbs were not there, but after abandoning their field work to get some dinner, noticed that there was no moon this time. They checked data to see whether the creation of the globules coincided with the full moon and were shocked to find they did. Researcher Catarina Rydin said: ‘It all fitted, and all we had to do was wait for 2014's full moon in July to see if that was what the plants were waiting for, and it absolutely was.’ The study, published in Biology Letters, says: ‘The exact timing of pollination in E. foeminea varied considerably from year to year, but was correlated with the full moon of July.’ The study, published in Biology Letters, says: ‘The exact timing of pollination in E. foeminea varied considerably from year to year, but was correlated with the full moon of July.’  A stock image showing the phases of the moon is pictured . Dung beetles use polarised moonlight to navigate in straight lines while moving dung. Badgers tend to raise their leg to urinate at full moon, to mark their territory before mating, LiveScience reported. Corals release huge amounts of sperm and eggs at full moon. By synchronising spawning, they increase the chances of eggs being fertilised. While lions hunt most effectively at night, they sometimes kill during the day when there's a full moon. Pets injure themselves more when the moon is full, although there is no reason why. A study found a 28 per cent increase in dog visits to the vets and 23 per cent increase for cats. ‘To our astonishment, even cones that appeared too young to be pollinated… secreted pollination drops from a pore-shaped micropylar opening during the peaking period at full moon. ‘One to two weeks earlier, when the moon was new and in its first quarter, we observed the exact opposite; drop secretion was weak to non-existent and pollinators were absent.’ While the globules materialised on E. foeminea at full moon, the same was not true of a relative found in the area. It’s unknown how the plant ‘knows’ when it’s full moon, but they can detect different intensities of light during the phases of the moon as well as gravity, which they could potentially use to identify lunar phases. While E. foeminea may be the first plant to respond to the lunar cycle, numerous animals are known to experience behaviour changes at different times during the cycle. For example, dung beetles use polarised moonlight to navigate in straight lines while moving dung and crabs and seabirds are also said to use the moon to carry out daily activities. Ephedra foeminea is the only known plant species to follow the lunar cycle, but dung beetles use polarised moonlight to navigate in straight lines while moving dung (a stock image is shown) and crabs and seabirds are also said to use the moon to carry out daily activities . ‘Correlation with the lunar cycle has been described regarding activity, reproduction, communication and navigation for a number of vertebrates and invertebrates,’ the study says. ‘Even eyeless animals such as reef corals correlate their reproduction with the phases of the moon. ‘Therefore, it is not surprising that the moon can influence plants as well, e.g. as a consequence of plant–animal interactions.’ Dr Rydin said: ‘To the best of our knowledge, this is a first. ‘At night, the many pollination drops glitter like diamonds in the full moonlight, a spectacular sight also for the human eye.’
target: Ephedra foeminea waits for the full moon to produce nectar .
  Experts from Stockholm University studied plant in Greece and Croatia .
  Plant's 'aim' is to seduce insects so they will fertilise its seed .
  It's the only species that's known to follow the moon's phases to survive .