This reduces fitness for both the plant and the moth that laid the egg, and is a form of sanctioning by the plant. This graph was simulated from the real values found by Pellmyr and Huth in their grou...This reduces fitness for both the plant and the moth that laid the egg, and is a form of sanctioning by the plant. This graph was simulated from the real values found by Pellmyr and Huth in their groundbreaking 1994 paper, which showed that mutualisms are not always strictly collaborative, but can involve tension between opposing forces (the plant needs pollination, but doesn't 'want' seeds eaten, the moth needs to lay as many eggs as it can) held in check by natural selection.
