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 . ’
Ephedra foeminea waits for the full moon to produce nectar . The plant is a member of the mint family, and has been used in traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac since ancient times. 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 .