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Somanathan H. Why diversity matters for understanding the visual ecology and behaviour of bees. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 64:101224. [PMID: 38925459 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Two bee species, the European honeybee and the buff-tailed bumblebee, are well-developed models of visual behaviour and ecology. How representative of bees across phylogeny and geography are these two species? Bee sensory systems likely differ between temperate and tropical species due to differences in the intensity or the types of selection pressures. Differences in temperate and tropical floral diversity, abundance and seasonality can influence sensory adaptations and behaviours. Niche partitioning in the speciose tropics along the microhabitat and temporal axes is increasingly reported to involve special visual adaptations in bees. Inclusive approaches encompassing other bee species and building on lessons from the 'model' bees will inform how ecology shapes bee senses, and, in turn, the structure of plant-bee mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
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2
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Vieira ALC, Pataca LC, Oliveira R, Schlindwein C. Fields of flowers with few strikes: how oligolectic bees manage their foraging behavior on Calibrachoa elegans (Solanaceae). THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:26. [PMID: 38647655 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01912-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In specialized plant-pollinator associations, partners may exhibit adaptive traits, which favor the maintenance of the interaction. The association between Calibrachoa elegans (Solanaceae) and its oligolectic bee pollinator, Hexantheda missionica (Colletidae), is mutualistic and forms a narrowly specialized pollination system. Flowers of C. elegans are pollinated exclusively by this bee species, and the bees restrict their pollen resources to this plant species. The pollen presentation schedules of C. elegans were evaluated at the population level to test the hypothesis that H. missionica females adjust their foraging behavior to the resource offering regime of C. elegans plants. For this, the number of new flowers and anthers opened per hour (as a proxy for pollen offering) was determined, and pollen advertisement was correlated with the frequency of flower visits during the day. Preferences of female bees for flowers of different stages were also investigated, and their efficiency as pollinators was evaluated. Pollen offering by C. elegans was found to be partitioned throughout the day through scattered flower openings. Females of H. missionica indeed adjusted their foraging activity to the most profitable periods of pollen availability. The females preferred new, pollen-rich flowers over old ones and gathered pollen and nectar selectively according to flower age. Such behaviors must optimize female bee foraging efficiency on flowers. Female bees set 93% of fruit after a single visit. These findings guarantee their importance as pollinators and the persistence of the specialized plant-pollinator association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luísa Cordeiro Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal-Departamento de Botânica, Grupo Plebeia-Ecologia de Abelhas e da Polinização, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Letícia Cândida Pataca
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal-Departamento de Botânica, Grupo Plebeia-Ecologia de Abelhas e da Polinização, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Reisla Oliveira
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Clemens Schlindwein
- Departamento de Botânica, Grupo Plebeia-Ecologia de Abelhas e da Polinização, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
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3
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Lunau K, De Camargo MGG, Brito VLG. Pollen, anther, stamen, and androecium mimicry. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:349-368. [PMID: 38407440 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Floral colours represent a highly diverse communication signal mainly involved in flower visitors' attraction and guidance, but also flower discrimination, filtering non-pollinators and discouraging floral antagonists. The divergent visual systems and colour preferences of flower visitors, as well as the necessity of cues for flower detection and discrimination, foster the diversity of floral colours and colour patterns. Despite the bewildering diversity of floral colour patterns, a recurrent component is a yellow UV-absorbing floral centre, and it is still not clear why this pattern is so frequent in angiosperms. The pollen, anther, stamen, and androecium mimicry (PASAM) hypothesis suggests that the system composed of the flowers possessing such yellow UV-absorbing floral reproductive structures, the flowers displaying central yellow UV-absorbing structures as floral guides, and the pollen-collecting, as well as pollen-eating, flower visitors responding to such signals constitute the world's most speciose mimicry system. In this review, we call the attention of researchers to some hypothetical PASAM systems around the globe, presenting some fascinating examples that illustrate their huge diversity. We will also present new and published data on pollen-eating and pollen-collecting pollinators' responses to PASAM structures supporting the PASAM hypothesis and will discuss how widespread these systems are around the globe. Ultimately, our goal is to promote the idea that PASAM is a plausible first approach to understanding floral colour patterns in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lunau
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M G G De Camargo
- Phenology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Biosciences Institute, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - V L G Brito
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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4
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Magalhães DM, Lourenção AL, Bento JMS. Beneath the blooms: Unearthing the effect of rhizospheric bacteria on floral signals and pollinator preferences. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:782-798. [PMID: 37994626 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between plants and pollinators is known to be influenced by ecological interactions with other community members. While most research has focused on aboveground communities affecting plant-pollinator interactions, it is increasingly recognized that soil-dwelling organisms can directly or indirectly impact these interactions. Although studies have examined the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on floral traits, there is a gap in research regarding similar effects associated with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly concerning floral scent. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of the PGPR Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on the floral traits of wild (Solanum habrochaites, Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum peruvianum) and cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), as well as the impact of microbially-driven changes in floral scent on the foraging behaviour of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata. Our findings revealed that inoculating tomatoes with PGPR led to an increased number of flowers and enhanced overall floral volatile emission. Additionally, we observed higher flower biomass and pollen levels in all species, except S. peruvianum. Importantly, these changes in volatile emissions influenced the foraging behaviour of M. quadrifasciata significantly. Our results highlight the impact of beneficial soil microbes on plant-pollinator interactions, shedding light on the multiple effects that plant-microbial interactions can have on aboveground organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego M Magalhães
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André L Lourenção
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Maurício S Bento
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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5
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Symington HA, Glover BJ. Strawberry varieties differ in pollinator-relevant floral traits. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10914. [PMID: 38322008 PMCID: PMC10844710 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
A rising global population will need more food, increasing demand for insect pollination services. However, general insect declines conflict with this demand. One way to mitigate this conflict is to grow crop flowers that are easier for insects to find and more rewarding to those that visit them. This study quantifies variation in the pollinator-relevant traits of nectar and pollen production, flower size and flower shape in commercial strawberry, finding significant variation between varieties in all traits. Bumblebees could learn to distinguish between the extremes of variation in flower shape, but this learning is very slow, indicating that this variation is at the limit of that which can be detected by bumblebees. Bee preferences for nectar of differing sugar concentrations at field-realistic volumes were consistent with previous observations at larger volumes, suggesting that it is valid to translate lab findings to the field. This study builds on our knowledge of the range of pollinator reward present in a single cultivated species and of the impact of field-realistic levels of variation in floral traits on bumblebee preferences.
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Huang M, Meng JY, Zhou L, Yu C, Zhang CY. Expression and function of opsin genes associated with phototaxis in Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:4490-4500. [PMID: 37418556 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zeugodacus cucuribitae is a major agricultural pest that causes significant damage to varieties of plants. Vision plays a critical role in phototactic behavior of herbivorous insects. However, the effect of opsin on the phototactic behavior in Z. cucuribitae remains unknown. The aim of this research is to explore the key opsin genes that associate with phototaxis behavior of Z. cucurbitae. RESULTS Five opsin genes were identified and their expression patterns were analyzed. The relative expression levels of ZcRh1, ZcRh4 and ZcRh6 were highest in 4-day-old larvae, ZcRh2 and ZcRh3 were highest in 3rd-instar larvae and 5-day-old pupae, respectively. Furthermore, five opsin genes had the highest expression levels in compound eyes, followed by the antennae and head, whereas the lower occurred in other tissues. The expression of the long-wavelength-sensitive (LW) opsins first decreased and then increased under green light exposure. In contrast, the expression of ultraviolet-sensitive (UV) opsins first increased and then decreased with the duration of UV exposure. Silencing of LW opsin (dsZcRh1, dsZcRh2, and dsZcRh6) and UV opsin (dsZcRh3 and dsZcRh4) reduced the phototactic efficiency of Z. cucurbitae to green light by 52.27%, 60.72%, and 67.89%, and to UV light by 68.59% and 61.73%, respectively. CONCLUSION The results indicate that RNAi inhibited the expression of opsin, thereby inhibiting the phototaxis of Z. cucurbitae. This result provides theoretical support for the physical control of Z. cucurbitae and lays the foundation for further exploration of the mechanism of insect phototaxis. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Huang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jian-Yu Meng
- Guizhou Tobacco Science Research Institute, Guiyang, China
| | - Lv Zhou
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chun Yu
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chang-Yu Zhang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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Lozada-Gobilard S, Nielsen N, Sapir Y. Flower Size as an Honest Signal in Royal Irises ( Iris Section Oncocyclus, Iridaceae). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2978. [PMID: 37631189 PMCID: PMC10459770 DOI: 10.3390/plants12162978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Flower traits, such as flower size or color changes, can act as honest signals indicating greater rewards such as nectar; however, nothing is known about shelter-rewarding systems. Large flowers of Royal irises offer overnight shelter as a reward to Eucera bees. A black patch might signal the entrance to the tunnel (shelter) and, together with the flower size, these might act as honest signals. We hypothesize that larger flowers and black patches indicate larger tunnels, and larger tunnels will increase pollinator visits, enhancing the plants' reproductive success. We measured seven species in a controlled environment and two species from three natural populations varying in flower size. Fruit and seed sets were assessed in these natural populations. We found a positive correlation between the flower, patch size, and tunnel volume, suggesting that the flowers and patch size act as honest signals, both under controlled conditions and in the wild. However, in natural populations, this positive relationship and its effect on fitness was population-specific. Flower size increased the fitness in YER I. petrana, and interactions between flower/patch size and tunnel size increased the fitness in YER and I. atropurpurea NET populations. This suggests that the honesty of the signal is positively selected in these two populations. This study supports the hypothesis that pollinator-mediated selection leads to the honest signaling of flower advertisement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sissi Lozada-Gobilard
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, G.S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; (N.N.); (Y.S.)
- Biodiversity Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Nadine Nielsen
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, G.S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; (N.N.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yuval Sapir
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, G.S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; (N.N.); (Y.S.)
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Tan C, Cai X, Luo Z, Li Z, Xiu C, Chen Z, Bian L. Visual acuity of Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:370. [PMID: 37103185 PMCID: PMC10145553 DOI: 10.3390/insects14040370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Empoasca onukii is a common tea plant pest with a preference for the color yellow. Past work has shown that host leaf color is a key cue for habitat location for E. onukii. Before studying the effect of foliage shape, size, or texture on habitat localization, it is necessary to determine the visual acuity and effective viewing distance of E. onukii. In this study, a combination of 3D microscopy and X-ray microtomography showed that visual acuity did not significantly differ between females and males, but there were significant differences in the visual acuity and optical sensitivity among five regions of E. onukii's compound eyes. The dorsal ommatidia had the highest visual acuity at 0.28 cycles per degree (cpd) but the lowest optical sensitivity (0.02 μm2sr), which indicated a trade-off between visual resolution and optical sensitivity for E. onukii. The visual acuity determined from the behavioral experiment was 0.14 cpd; E. onukii exhibited low-resolution vision and could only distinguish the units in a yellow/red pattern within 30 cm. Therefore, visual acuity contributes to the limited ability of E. onukii to distinguish the visual details of a distant target, which might be perceived as a lump of blurred color of intermediate brightness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Tan
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Xiaoming Cai
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Zongxiu Luo
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Zhaoqun Li
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Chunli Xiu
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Zongmao Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Lei Bian
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 Meiling South Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310008, China
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Dahake A, Jain P, Vogt CC, Kandalaft W, Stroock AD, Raguso RA. A signal-like role for floral humidity in a nocturnal pollination system. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7773. [PMID: 36522313 PMCID: PMC9755274 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35353-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have considered floral humidity to be an inadvertent consequence of nectar evaporation, which could be exploited as a cue by nectar-seeking pollinators. By contrast, our interdisciplinary study of a night-blooming flower, Datura wrightii, and its hawkmoth pollinator, Manduca sexta, reveals that floral relative humidity acts as a mutually beneficial signal in this system. The distinction between cue- and signal-based functions is illustrated by three experimental findings. First, floral humidity gradients in Datura are nearly ten-fold greater than those reported for other species, and result from active (stomatal conductance) rather than passive (nectar evaporation) processes. These humidity gradients are sustained in the face of wind and are reconstituted within seconds of moth visitation, implying substantial physiological costs to these desert plants. Second, the water balance costs in Datura are compensated through increased visitation by Manduca moths, with concomitant increases in pollen export. We show that moths are innately attracted to humid flowers, even when floral humidity and nectar rewards are experimentally decoupled. Moreover, moths can track minute changes in humidity via antennal hygrosensory sensilla but fail to do so when these sensilla are experimentally occluded. Third, their preference for humid flowers benefits hawkmoths by reducing the energetic costs of flower handling during nectar foraging. Taken together, these findings suggest that floral humidity may function as a signal mediating the final stages of floral choice by hawkmoths, complementing the attractive functions of visual and olfactory signals beyond the floral threshold in this nocturnal plant-pollinator system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajinkya Dahake
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Piyush Jain
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XSibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Caleb C. Vogt
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - William Kandalaft
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Abraham D. Stroock
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XSmith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Robert A. Raguso
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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10
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Eco-Evo-Devo of petal pigmentation patterning. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:753-768. [PMID: 36205404 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Colourful spots, stripes and rings decorate the corolla of most flowering plants and fulfil important biotic and abiotic functions. Spatial differences in the pigmentation of epidermal cells can create these patterns. The last few years have yielded new data that have started to illuminate the mechanisms controlling the function, formation and evolution of petal patterns. These advances have broad impacts beyond the immediate field as pigmentation patterns are wonderful systems to explore multiscale biological problems: from understanding how cells make decisions at the microscale to examining the roots of biodiversity at the macroscale. These new results also reveal there is more to petal patterning than meets the eye, opening up a brand new area of investigation. In this mini-review, we summarise our current knowledge on the Eco-Evo-Devo of petal pigmentation patterns and discuss some of the most exciting yet unanswered questions that represent avenues for future research.
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11
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Hempel de Ibarra N, Holtze S, Bäucker C, Sprau P, Vorobyev M. The role of colour patterns for the recognition of flowers by bees. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210284. [PMID: 36058248 PMCID: PMC9441241 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees discriminate between many different colours of flower petals, but it is not well understood how they perceive and learn patterns frequently found in flowers with colourful structures. We used multi-spectral imaging to explore chromatic cues in concentric flower patterns as they are seen through the low-resolution eyes of the honeybee. We find a diversity of colour combinations, which suggests that plants might exploit the sensory capabilities of pollinators, like bees, that learn colours easily. A consistent feature is that the surround of the pattern has a stronger chromatic contrast to the foliage background than the centre. This can potentially facilitate the fast identification of floral objects within colourful scenes when a foraging bee moves through a flower patch. In behavioural experiments we trained and tested bees with three types of concentric patterns. They recognized and discriminated patterns accurately in most tests, relying flexibly on both chromatic and spatial cues. Only rarely, depending on the training stimulus, chromatic cues determined their choices whilst pattern cues were ignored. The variability of floral designs and the bees' flexibility in recalling colour and spatial information suggest a role for colour vision in pattern processing. Implications for the signalling strategies of flowers are discussed. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Holtze
- Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cornelia Bäucker
- Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Sprau
- Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Misha Vorobyev
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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12
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Huang L, Liu Y, Dou L, Pan S, Li Z, Zhang J, Li J. Mutualist- and antagonist-mediated selection contribute to trait diversification of flowers. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14107. [PMID: 36196403 PMCID: PMC9527018 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Flowers are generally short-lived, and they all face a multidimensional challenge because they have to attract mutualists, compel them to vector pollen with minimal investment in rewards, and repel floral enemies during this short time window. Their displays are under complex selection, either consistent or conflicting, to maximize reproductive fitness under heterogeneous environments. The phenological or morphological mismatches between flowers and visitors will influence interspecific competition, resource access, mating success and, ultimately, population and community dynamics. To better understand the effects of the plant visitors on floral traits, it is necessary to determine the functional significance of specific floral traits for the visitors; how plants respond to both mutualists and antagonists through adaptive changes; and to evaluate the net fitness effects of biological mutualisms and antagonism on plants. In this review, we bring together insights from fields as diverse as floral biology, insect behavioral responses, and evolutionary biology to explain the processes and patterns of floral diversity evolution. Then, we discuss the ecological significance of plant responses to mutualists and antagonists from a community perspective, and propose a set of research questions that can guide the research field to integrate studies of plant defense and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Huang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Liwen Dou
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Shaobin Pan
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | | | - Jin Zhang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jia Li
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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13
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León‐Osper M, Narbona E. Unravelling the mystery of red flowers in the Mediterranean Basin: How to be conspicuous in a place dominated by hymenopteran pollinators. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa León‐Osper
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla España
| | - Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla España
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14
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Nicholls E, Rands SA, Botías C, Hempel de Ibarra N. Flower sharing and pollinator health: a behavioural perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210157. [PMID: 35491598 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease is an integral part of any organisms' life, and bees have evolved immune responses and a suite of hygienic behaviours to keep them at bay in the nest. It is now evident that flowers are another transmission hub for pathogens and parasites, raising questions about adaptations that help pollinating insects stay healthy while visiting hundreds of plants over their lifetime. Drawing on recent advances in our understanding of how bees of varying size, dietary specialization and sociality differ in their foraging ranges, navigational strategies and floral resource preferences, we explore the behavioural mechanisms and strategies that may enable foraging bees to reduce disease exposure and transmission risks at flowers by partitioning overlapping resources in space and in time. By taking a novel behavioural perspective, we highlight the missing links between disease biology and the ecology of plant-pollinator relationships, critical for improving the understanding of disease transmission risks and the better design and management of habitat for pollinator conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Nicholls
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - S A Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - C Botías
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal de Castilla La Mancha (IRIAF), CIAPA de Marchamalo, 19180 Guadalajara, Spain
| | - N Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
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15
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Langridge KV, Wilke C, Riabinina O, Vorobyev M, Hempel de Ibarra N. Approach Direction Prior to Landing Explains Patterns of Colour Learning in Bees. Front Physiol 2021; 12:697886. [PMID: 34955870 PMCID: PMC8692860 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.697886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaze direction is closely coupled with body movement in insects and other animals. If movement patterns interfere with the acquisition of visual information, insects can actively adjust them to seek relevant cues. Alternatively, where multiple visual cues are available, an insect's movements may influence how it perceives a scene. We show that the way a foraging bumblebee approaches a floral pattern could determine what it learns about the pattern. When trained to vertical bicoloured patterns, bumblebees consistently approached from below centre in order to land in the centre of the target where the reward was located. In subsequent tests, the bees preferred the colour of the lower half of the pattern that they predominantly faced during the approach and landing sequence. A predicted change of learning outcomes occurred when the contrast line was moved up or down off-centre: learned preferences again reflected relative frontal exposure to each colour during the approach, independent of the overall ratio of colours. This mechanism may underpin learning strategies in both simple and complex visual discriminations, highlighting that morphology and action patterns determines how animals solve sensory learning tasks. The deterministic effect of movement on visual learning may have substantially influenced the evolution of floral signals, particularly where plants depend on fine-scaled movements of pollinators on flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri V. Langridge
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Wilke
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Olena Riabinina
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Misha Vorobyev
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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16
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Trunschke J, Lunau K, Pyke GH, Ren ZX, Wang H. Flower Color Evolution and the Evidence of Pollinator-Mediated Selection. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:617851. [PMID: 34381464 PMCID: PMC8350172 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.617851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of floral traits in animal-pollinated plants involves the interaction between flowers as signal senders and pollinators as signal receivers. Flower colors are very diverse, effect pollinator attraction and flower foraging behavior, and are hypothesized to be shaped through pollinator-mediated selection. However, most of our current understanding of flower color evolution arises from variation between discrete color morphs and completed color shifts accompanying pollinator shifts, while evidence for pollinator-mediated selection on continuous variation in flower colors within populations is still scarce. In this review, we summarize experiments quantifying selection on continuous flower color variation in natural plant populations in the context of pollinator interactions. We found that evidence for significant pollinator-mediated selection is surprisingly limited among existing studies. We propose several possible explanations related to the complexity in the interaction between the colors of flowers and the sensory and cognitive abilities of pollinators as well as pollinator behavioral responses, on the one hand, and the distribution of variation in color phenotypes and fitness, on the other hand. We emphasize currently persisting weaknesses in experimental procedures, and provide some suggestions for how to improve methodology. In conclusion, we encourage future research to bring together plant and animal scientists to jointly forward our understanding of the mechanisms and circumstances of pollinator-mediated selection on flower color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Trunschke
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Graham H. Pyke
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Zong-Xin Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Hong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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17
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Meena A, Kumar AMV, Balamurali GS, Somanathan H. Visual detection thresholds in the Asian honeybee, Apis cerana. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:553-560. [PMID: 34152429 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01496-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
To understand how insect pollinators find flowers against complex backgrounds in diverse natural habitats, it is required to accurately estimate the thresholds for target detection. Detection thresholds for single targets vary between bee species and have been estimated in the Western honeybee, a species of bumblebee and in a stingless bee species. We estimated the angular range of detection for coloured targets in the Asian honeybee Apis cerana. Using a Y-maze experimental set up, we show that targets that provided both chromatic and green receptor contrast were detected at a minimum visual angle of 7.7°, while targets with only chromatic contrast were detected at a minimum angle of 13.2°. Our results thus provide a robust foundation for future studies on the visual ecology of bees in a comparative interspecific framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Meena
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, 140306, India
| | - Arya M V Kumar
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India
| | - G S Balamurali
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India.
| | - Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India
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18
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Harrap MJM, Hempel de Ibarra N, Knowles HD, Whitney HM, Rands SA. Bumblebees can detect floral humidity. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb240861. [PMID: 34161560 PMCID: PMC8246344 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.240861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Floral humidity, a region of elevated humidity in the headspace of the flower, occurs in many plant species and may add to their multimodal floral displays. So far, the ability to detect and respond to floral humidity cues has been only established for hawkmoths when they locate and extract nectar while hovering in front of some moth-pollinated flowers. To test whether floral humidity can be used by other more widespread generalist pollinators, we designed artificial flowers that presented biologically relevant levels of humidity similar to those shown by flowering plants. Bumblebees showed a spontaneous preference for flowers that produced higher floral humidity. Furthermore, learning experiments showed that bumblebees are able to use differences in floral humidity to distinguish between rewarding and non-rewarding flowers. Our results indicate that bumblebees are sensitive to different levels of floral humidity. In this way floral humidity can add to the information provided by flowers and could impact pollinator behaviour more significantly than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. M. Harrap
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Henry D. Knowles
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Natural Resources Wales, Maes Newydd, Llandarcy, Neath Port Talbot, SA10 6JQ, UK
| | - Heather M. Whitney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Sean A. Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
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19
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Tunes P, Camargo MGG, Guimarães E. Floral UV Features of Plant Species From a Neotropical Savanna. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:618028. [PMID: 34025689 PMCID: PMC8137824 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.618028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the wide interest in flower colours, only after the end of the nineteenth-century studies started to comprise floral UV reflection, which is invisible to humans but visible to the major groups of pollinators. Many flowers and inflorescences display colour patterns, an important signal for pollinators, promoted by the presence of at least two different colours within flowers or inflorescences, including colours in the UV waveband. For Neotropical savanna plant species, we characterised floral UV features using UV-photography and reflectance measurements. We tested (i) whether floral UV features were constrained by their shared ancestry, (ii) whether floral UV features were associated with pollinators, and (iii) whether floral UV features were associated with floral traits mediating these interactions, including floral resource, type of attraction unit and presence/absence of non-UV colour patterns. Of 80 plant species, ca. 70% were UV-patternless, most of them UV-absorbing. Approximately 30% presented one of three types of UV-patterns: bullseye, contrasting corolla markings oriented toward floral resources or contrasting reproductive structures, which were all considered as floral guides. Floral UV features were phylogenetically constrained and were associated with pollinators, floral resources and attraction unit, but not with non-UV colour patterns. UV-patternless flowers were associated with most of the pollination systems, while UV-patterned flowers were mainly associated with bee-pollination. UV-absorbing flowers comprised the only category with hawkmoth- and butterfly-pollinated flowers, and a high percentage of hummingbird-pollinated species. Nocturnal pollinated species were also commonly UV-absorbing, except for one UV-reflecting bat-pollinated species and one beetle-pollinated species with UV-reflecting stigmas. All types of floral UV features were associated with nectar; however, flowers with contrasting reproductive structures were mainly associated with pollen. There was an association between UV-absorbing species and the presence of inflorescences and intermediate attraction units. Our results evince that phylogenetic relatedness can constraint floral UV features' diversification, but combinations of evolutionary and ecological processes may be expected in this scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Tunes
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Botany), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | - Elza Guimarães
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
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20
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Torices R, DeSoto L, Narbona E, Gómez JM, Pannell JR. Effects of the Relatedness of Neighbours on Floral Colour. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.589781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive success of plants depends both on their phenotype and the local neighbourhood in which they grow. Animal-pollinated plants may benefit from increased visitation when surrounded by attractive conspecific individuals, via a “magnet effect.” Group attractiveness is thus potentially a public good that can be exploited by individuals, with selfish exploitation predicted to depend on genetic relatedness within the group. Petal colour is a potentially costly trait involved in floral signalling and advertising to pollinators. Here, we assessed whether petal colour was plastically sensitive to the relatedness of neighbours in the annual herb Moricandia moricandioides, which produces purple petals through anthocyanin pigment accumulation. We also tested whether petal colour intensity was related to nectar volume and sugar content in a context-dependent manner. Although both petal colour and petal anthocyanin concentration did not significantly vary with the neighbourhood configuration, plants growing with kin made a significantly higher investment in petal anthocyanin pigments as a result of the greater number and larger size of their flowers. Moreover the genetic relatedness of neighbours significantly modified the relationship between floral signalling and reward quantity: while focal plants growing with non-kin showed a positive relationship between petal colour and nectar production, plants growing with kin showed a positive relationship between number of flowers and nectar volume, and sugar content. The observed plastic response to group relatedness might have important effects on pollinator behaviour and visitation, with direct and indirect effects on plant reproductive success and mating patterns, at least in those plant species with patchy and genetically structured populations.
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21
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Rands SA, Harrap MJM. Phylogenetic signal in floral temperature patterns. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:39. [PMID: 33509265 PMCID: PMC7844958 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05455-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Floral structures may be warmer than their environment, and can show thermal patterning, where individual floral structures show different temperatures across their surface. Pollinators can differentiate between artificial flowers that mimic both naturally warmed and thermally patterned ones, but it has yet to be demonstrated that these patterns are biologically meaningful. To explore the relationship between pollinators and temperature patterning, we need to know whether there is diversity in patterning, and that these patterns are not simply a by-product of floral architecture constrained by ancestry. We analysed a dataset of 97 species to explore whether intrafloral temperature differences were correlated within clades (phylogenetic signal), or whether the variation seen was diverse enough to suggest that floral temperature patterns are influenced by the abiotic or pollinator-related niches to which plant species are adapted. RESULTS Some phylogenetic signal was observed, with both the Asteraceae and species of Pelargonium being more similar than expected by chance, but with other species surveyed not showing signal. The Asteraceae tend to have large temperature differences across the floral surface, which may be due to floral architecture constraints within the family. Other families show no correlation, suggesting that patterning is influenced by pollinators and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean A Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Michael J M Harrap
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
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22
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Narbona E, Arista M, Whittall JB, Camargo MGG, Shrestha M. Editorial: The Role of Flower Color in Angiosperm Evolution. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:736998. [PMID: 34603361 PMCID: PMC8484755 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.736998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Narbona
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain
- *Correspondence: Eduardo Narbona
| | - Montserrat Arista
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Justen B. Whittall
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- School of Media and Communication, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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23
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Ortiz PL, Fernández‐Díaz P, Pareja D, Escudero M, Arista M. Do visual traits honestly signal floral rewards at community level? Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro L. Ortiz
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Pilar Fernández‐Díaz
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Daniel Pareja
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Marcial Escudero
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Montserrat Arista
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
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24
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Borghi M, Fernie AR. Outstanding questions in flower metabolism. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 103:1275-1288. [PMID: 32410253 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The great diversity of flowers, their color, odor, taste, and shape, is mostly a result of the metabolic processes that occur in this reproductive organ when the flower and its tissues develop, grow, and finally die. Some of these metabolites serve to advertise flowers to animal pollinators, other confer protection towards abiotic stresses, and a large proportion of the molecules of the central metabolic pathways have bioenergetic and signaling functions that support growth and the transition to fruits and seeds. Although recent studies have advanced our general understanding of flower metabolism, several questions still await an answer. Here, we have compiled a list of open questions on flower metabolism encompassing molecular aspects, as well as topics of relevance for agriculture and the ecosystem. These questions include the study of flower metabolism through development, the biochemistry of nectar and its relevance to promoting plant-pollinator interaction, recycling of metabolic resources after flowers whiter and die, as well as the manipulation of flower metabolism by pathogens. We hope with this review to stimulate discussion on the topic of flower metabolism and set a reference point to return to in the future when assessing progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Borghi
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
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25
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Flacher F, Raynaud X, Hansart A, Geslin B, Motard E, Verstraet S, Bataille M, Dajoz I. Below-ground competition alters attractiveness of an insect-pollinated plant to pollinators. AOB PLANTS 2020; 12:plaa022. [PMID: 32742629 PMCID: PMC7384324 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plaa022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Competitive interactions between plants can affect patterns of allocation to reproductive structures through modulation of resource availability. As floral traits involved in plant attractiveness to pollinators can be sensitive to these resources, competition with any neighbouring species may influence the attractiveness of insect-pollinated plants. While pollination research has primarily focused on above-ground interactions, this study aims at investigating if the presence of a competitor plant can modulate neighbouring insect-pollinated plant attractiveness to pollinators and resulting fecundity, especially through below-ground competitive interactions for soil resources. We set up a plot experiment in which we grew an insect-pollinated plant, Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae), in a mixture dominated by a wind-pollinated plant, Holcus lanatus (Poaceae). Individuals of S. alba were either subjected to or isolated from (with buried tubes in the soil) below-ground competition. Across the flowering season, floral traits involved in attractiveness of S. alba and pollinator visitation were followed at the plot and plant level to investigate different scales of attractiveness. At the end of the experiment, seeds were harvested to assess plant fecundity. Competition had a significant negative effect on plot and plant floral display size as well as flower size while nectar traits were not affected. When plants of S. alba were in competition, the time to first visit was altered: the proportion of plots that received a visit was smaller for a given time; in other words, it took more time for a given proportion of plots to be visited and some plots were even never visited. Moreover, pollinators made fewer visits per plots. The proportion of viable seeds produced by S. alba in competition was lower and probably linked to the competition itself rather than changes in pollinator visitation. This study suggests that competitive interactions between plants can modulate pollination interactions even when competing plant species are not insect-pollinated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floriane Flacher
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université de Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris, Paris, France
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Xavier Raynaud
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université de Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Amandine Hansart
- Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Département de biologie, Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL University, St-Pierre-les-Nemours, France
| | - Benoît Geslin
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Motard
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université de Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Séléné Verstraet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université de Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Manon Bataille
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université de Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Dajoz
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université de Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris, Paris, France
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26
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Koski MH. Macroevolution of Flower Color Patterning: Biased Transition Rates and Correlated Evolution with Flower Size. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:945. [PMID: 32714351 PMCID: PMC7344184 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Floral pigmentation patterns can both mediate plant-pollinator interactions and modify the abiotic environment of reproductive structures. To date, there have been no inquiries into the rate and directionality of macroevolutionary transitions between patterned and non-patterned petals despite their ecological importance and ubiquity across angiosperms. Petals in the Potentilleae tribe (Rosaceae) display color patterns in the ultraviolet (UV) and human-visible spectrum, or can be uniform in color (i.e., patternless). Using a phylogeny of Potentilleae, I test whether evolutionary transition rates between patterned and non-patterned petals are biased in either direction. I then examine whether UV and human-visible floral patterns are phylogenetically correlated and test the prediction that color patterns will evolve in concert with larger flowers if they function as guides to orient pollinators to floral rewards. I found that transition rates were biased toward petals that were uniform in color. Transition rates from patterned to uniformly colored petals were two and six times higher than the reverse for UV and human-visible pattern, respectively. The presence of UV and human-visible pattern evolved independently from one another. However, the evolution of human-visible pattern was associated with the evolution of larger flowers but the evolution of UV pattern was correlated with the evolution of smaller flowers. I posit that the transition bias toward non-patterned flowers may reflect developmental constraints on spatial regulation of pigments required to produce floral color patterning. The correlated evolution of larger flowers and human-visible pigmentation patterns support the hypothesis that nectar or pollen guides are more likely to evolve in larger-flowered species. This work provides insight into how transition rate bias and trait correlations can shape phylogenetic patterns of floral color pattern diversity.
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de Vries LJ, van Langevelde F, van Dooremalen C, Kornegoor IG, Lankheet MJ, van Leeuwen JL, Naguib M, Muijres FT. Bumblebees land remarkably well in red-blue greenhouse LED light conditions. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio046730. [PMID: 32376606 PMCID: PMC7295593 DOI: 10.1242/bio.046730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Red-blue emitting LEDs have recently been introduced in greenhouses to optimise plant growth. However, this spectrum may negatively affect the performance of bumblebees used for pollination, because the visual system of bumblebees is more sensitive to green light than to red-blue light. We used high-speed stereoscopic videography to three-dimensionally track and compare landing manoeuvres of Bombus terrestris bumblebees in red-blue light and in regular, broad-spectrum white light. In both conditions, the landing approaches were interspersed by one or several hover phases, followed by leg extension and touchdown. The time between leg extension and touchdown was 25% (0.05 s) longer in red-blue light than in white light, caused by a more tortuous flight path in red-blue light. However, the total landing duration, specified as the time between the first hover phase and touchdown, did not differ between the light conditions. This suggests that the negative effects of red-blue light on the landing manoeuvre are confined to the final phase of the landing.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana J de Vries
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Coby van Dooremalen
- Bees@wur, Business Unit Biointeractions & Plant Health, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse G Kornegoor
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin J Lankheet
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan L van Leeuwen
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Naguib
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Florian T Muijres
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
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28
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Harrap MJM, Hempel de Ibarra N, Knowles HD, Whitney HM, Rands SA. Floral Humidity in Flowering Plants: A Preliminary Survey. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:249. [PMID: 32211004 PMCID: PMC7068853 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The area of space immediately around the floral display is likely to have an increased level of humidity relative to the environment around it, due to both nectar evaporation and floral transpiration. This increased level of floral humidity could act as a close-distance cue for pollinators or influence thermoregulation, pollen viability and infection of flowers by fungal pathogens. However, with a few exceptions, not much is known about the patterns of floral humidity in flowering plants or the physiological traits that result in its generation. We conducted a survey of 42 radially symmetrical flower species (representing 21 widely spread families) under controlled conditions. Humidity was measured using a novel robot arm technique that allowed us to take measurements along transects across and above the floral surface. The intensity of floral humidity was found to vary between different flower species. Thirty of the species we surveyed presented levels of humidity exceeding a control comparable to background humidity levels, while twelve species did not. Patterns of floral humidity also differed across species. Nevertheless, floral humidity tended to be highest near the center of the flower, and decreased logarithmically with increasing distance above the flower, normally declining to background levels within 30 mm. It remains unclear how physiological traits influence the diversity of floral humidity discovered in this survey, but floral shape seems to also influence floral humidity. These results demonstrate that floral humidity may occur in a wide range of species and that there might be greater level of diversity and complexity in this floral trait than previously known.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Henry D. Knowles
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Heather M. Whitney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Sean A. Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Peach K, Liu JW, Klitgaard KN, Mazer SJ. Sex-specific floral attraction traits in a sequentially hermaphroditic species. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1856-1875. [PMID: 32128121 PMCID: PMC7042773 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
●Many angiosperms are hermaphroditic and produce bisexual flowers in which male (pollen export) and female (stigma receptivity) functions are separated temporally. This sequential hermaphroditism may be associated with variation in flower size, color, or pattern, all of which may influence pollinator attraction. In this study, we describe variation in these traits across discrete functional sex stages within and between 225 greenhouse-grown individuals of Clarkia unguiculata (Onagraceae). In addition, to identify the effects of floral phenotype on pollinator attraction in this species, we examine the effects of these floral traits on pollen receipt in ~180 individuals in an experimental field array.●Petal area, ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing nectar guide area, and blue and green mean petal reflectance differ significantly across the functional sex stages of C. unguiculata. Male- and female-phase flowers display significantly different pollinator attraction traits. Petal and UV nectar guide area increase as flowers progress from male phase to female phase, while blue reflectance and green reflectance peak during anther maturation.●In field arrays of C. unguiculata, female-phase flowers with large UV nectar guides receive more pollen than those with small nectar guides, and female-phase flowers with high mean blue reflectance values are more likely to receive pollen than those with low blue reflectance. Female-phase flowers with green mean reflectance values that differ most from background foliage also receive more pollen than those that are more similar to foliage. These findings indicate that components of flower color and pattern influence pollen receipt, independent of other plant attributes that may covary with floral traits. We discuss these results in the context of hypotheses that have been proposed to explain sex-specific floral attraction traits, and we suggest future research that could improve our understanding of sexual dimorphism in sequentially hermaphroditic species and the evolution of features that promote outcrossing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Peach
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCAUSA
| | - Jasen W. Liu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCAUSA
| | - Kristen N. Klitgaard
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCAUSA
| | - Susan J. Mazer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCAUSA
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30
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Chemical study of the flowers of the orchid Oncidium baueri Lindley and their visiting bees Trigona spinipes Fabricius. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2019.103918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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31
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Rusman Q, Poelman EH, Nowrin F, Polder G, Lucas‐Barbosa D. Floral plasticity: Herbivore-species-specific-induced changes in flower traits with contrasting effects on pollinator visitation. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2019; 42:1882-1896. [PMID: 30659631 PMCID: PMC6850075 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Plant phenotypic plasticity in response to antagonists can affect other community members such as mutualists, conferring potential ecological costs associated with inducible plant defence. For flowering plants, induction of defences to deal with herbivores can lead to disruption of plant-pollinator interactions. Current knowledge on the full extent of herbivore-induced changes in flower traits is limited, and we know little about specificity of induction of flower traits and specificity of effect on flower visitors. We exposed flowering Brassica nigra plants to six insect herbivore species and recorded changes in flower traits (flower abundance, morphology, colour, volatile emission, nectar quantity, and pollen quantity and size) and the behaviour of two pollinating insects. Our results show that herbivory can affect multiple flower traits and pollinator behaviour. Most plastic floral traits were flower morphology, colour, the composition of the volatile blend, and nectar production. Herbivore-induced changes in flower traits resulted in positive, negative, or neutral effects on pollinator behaviour. Effects on flower traits and pollinator behaviour were herbivore species-specific. Flowers show extensive plasticity in response to antagonist herbivores, with contrasting effects on mutualist pollinators. Antagonists can potentially act as agents of selection on flower traits and plant reproduction via plant-mediated interactions with mutualists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quint Rusman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Farzana Nowrin
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Gerrit Polder
- Greenhouse HorticultureWageningen University, WageningenThe Netherlands
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32
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Harrap MJM, Lawson DA, Whitney HM, Rands SA. Cross-modal transfer in visual and nonvisual cues in bumblebees. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:427-437. [PMID: 30859258 PMCID: PMC6579774 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01320-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Bumblebees Bombus terrestris are good at learning to distinguish between patterned flowers. They can differentiate between flowers that differ only in their patterning of scent, surface texture, temperature, or electrostatic charge, in addition to visual patterns. As recently shown, bumblebees trained to discriminate between nonvisual scent patterns can transfer this learning to visually patterned flowers that show similar spatial patterning to the learnt scent patterns. Bumblebees can, therefore, transfer learnt patterns between different sensory modalities, without needing to relearn them. We used differential conditioning techniques to explore whether cross-modal transfer of learnt patterns also occurred between visual and temperature patterns. Bumblebees that successfully learnt to distinguish rewarding and unrewarding temperature patterns did not show any preferences for the corresponding unlearnt visual pattern. Similarly, bumblebees that learnt visual patterns did not transfer these to temperature patterns, suggesting that they are unable to transfer learning of temperature and visual patterns. We discuss how cross-modality pattern learning may be limited to modalities that have potentially strong neurological links, such as the previously demonstrated transfer between scent and visual patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. M. Harrap
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - David A. Lawson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Heather M. Whitney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Sean A. Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
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33
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de Camargo MGG, Lunau K, Batalha MA, Brings S, de Brito VLG, Morellato LPC. How flower colour signals allure bees and hummingbirds: a community-level test of the bee avoidance hypothesis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:1112-1122. [PMID: 30444536 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Colour signals are the main floral trait for plant-pollinator communication. Owing to visual specificities, flower visitors exert different selective pressures on flower colour signals of plant communities. Although they evolved to attract pollinators, matching their visual sensitivity and colour preferences, floral signals may also evolve to avoid less efficient pollinators and antagonistic flower visitors. We evaluated evidence for the bee avoidance hypothesis in a Neotropical community pollinated mainly by bees and hummingbirds, the campo rupestre. We analysed flower reflectance spectra, compared colour variables of bee-pollinated flowers (bee-flowers; 244 species) and hummingbird-pollinated flowers (hummingbird-flowers; 39 species), and looked for evidence of bee sensorial exclusion in hummingbird-flowers. Flowers were equally contrasting for hummingbirds. Hummingbird-flowers were less conspicuous to bees, reflecting mainly long wavelengths and avoiding red-blind visitors. Bee-flowers reflected more short wavelengths, were more conspicuous to bees (higher contrasts and spectral purity) than hummingbird-flowers and displayed floral guides more frequently, favouring flower attractiveness, discrimination and handling by bees. Along with no phylogenetic signal, the differences in colour signal strategies between bee- and hummingbird-flowers are the first evidence of the bee avoidance hypothesis at a community level and reinforce the role of pollinators as a selective pressure driving flower colour diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gabriela Gutierrez de Camargo
- Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Fenologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Department Biology, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marco Antônio Batalha
- Department of Botany, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Brings
- Department Biology, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Leonor Patrícia Cerdeira Morellato
- Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Fenologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
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34
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Garcia JE, Shrestha M, Howard SR, Petersen P, Dyer AG. Signal or cue: the role of structural colors in flower pollination. Curr Zool 2018; 65:467-481. [PMID: 31413719 PMCID: PMC6688579 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Angle dependent colors, such as iridescence, are produced by structures present on flower petals changing their visual appearance. These colors have been proposed to act as signals for plant–insect communication. However, there is a paucity of behavioral data to allow for interpretations of how to classify these colors either as a signal or a cue when considering the natural conditions under which pollination occurs. We sampled flowers from 6 plant species across various viewpoints looking for changes in the visual appearance of the petals. Spectral characteristics were measured with different instruments to simulate both the spectral and spatial characteristics of honeybee’s vision. We show the presence of color patches produced by angle dependent effects on the petals and the calyx of various species; however, the appearance of the angle dependent color patches significantly varies with viewpoint and would only be resolved by the insect eye at close distances. Behavior experiments with honeybees revealed that pollinators did not use angle dependent colors to drive behavior when presented with novel flower presentations. Results show that angle dependent colors do not comply with the requirements of a signal for plant–pollinator communication since the information transmitted by these colors would be unreliable for potential, free-flying pollination vectors. We thus classify angle dependent colors produced by micro- and ultra-structures as being a cue (a feature which has not evolved for communication), and observe no evidence supporting claims of these angle dependent colors having evolved as visual signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.,Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Scarlett R Howard
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Phred Petersen
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
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35
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Dieng H, Satho T, Binti Arzemi NA, Aliasan NE, Abang F, Wydiamala E, Miake F, Zuharah WF, Abu Kassim NF, Morales Vargas RE, Morales NP, Noweg GT. Exposure of a diurnal mosquito vector to floral mimics: Foraging responses, feeding patterns, and significance for sugar bait technology. Acta Trop 2018; 185:230-238. [PMID: 29856985 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Food location by mosquitoes is mediated by resource-derived olfactory and visual signals. Smell sensation is intermittent and dependent on the environment, whereas visual signals are continual and precede olfactory cues. Success of mosquito bait technology, where olfactory cues are used for attraction, is being impeded by reduced attractiveness. Despite proof that mosquitoes respond to colored objects, including those mimicking floral shape, and that they can discriminate among flowers, the impacts of artificial flowers on foraging remain unexplored. Using artificial flowers with sugar rewards, we examined the foraging responses of Aedes aegypti to various colors in equal choice bioassays. Starved adults were exposed to single flowers with petals of a given color (Single Blue Flowers [SBFs]; Single Red Flowers [SRFs]; Single Yellow Flowers [SYFs]; Single Pink Flowers [SPIFs]; and Single Purple Flowers [SPFs]) and two others with white petals (SWFs). Discrepancies in response time, visitation, feeding, and resting of both sexes were compared between colored flowers and SWFs. Ae. aegypti exhibited shorter response times to colored flowers compared to SWFs, but this behavior was mostly seen for SBFs or SYFs in females, and SRFs, SYFs, SPIFs, or SPFs in males. When provided an option to land on colored flowers and SWFs, female visitation occurred at high rates on SBFs, SRFs, SYFs, SPIFs, and SPFs; for males, this preference for colored flowers was seen to a lesser degree on SBF and SPIFs. Both sexes exhibited preference for colored flowers as sugar sources, but with different patterns: SPIFs, SRFs, SYFs, and SPFs for females; SYFs, SPFs, SPIFs and SRFs for males. Females preferentially rested on colored flowers when in competition with SWFs, but this preference was more pronounced for SPFs, SRFs, and SBFs. Males exhibited an increased preference for SRFs, SPFs, and SYFs as resting sites. Our results indicated the attraction of Ae. aegypti to rewarding artificial flowers, in some cases in ways similar to live flowering plants. The discovery that both male and female Ae. aegypti can feed on nectar mimics held by artificial flowers opens new avenues for improving sugar bait technology and for developing new attract-and-kill devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamady Dieng
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia.
| | - Tomomitsu Satho
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Japan
| | | | - Nur Ezzati Aliasan
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Fatimah Abang
- Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
| | - Erida Wydiamala
- Faculty of Medicine, Lambung Mangkurat University, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Fumio Miake
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Japan
| | - Wan Fatma Zuharah
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | - Gabriel Tonga Noweg
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
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36
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Graf C, Kesel AB, Gorb EV, Gorb SN, Dirks JH. Investigating the efficiency of a bio-inspired insect repellent surface structure. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2018; 13:056010. [PMID: 29962370 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aad061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Most insects with smooth or hairy adhesive pads have very little problems in attaching to smooth substrates. A careful selection of surface roughness, however, can effectively limit the contact area of the adhesive organs with the surface. In comparison to conventional toxin-based insect repelling methods, biologically inspired micro- and nanostructured insect repellent surface structures, thus, offer a great potential to effective and environmentally-friendly control insect pests. We here present a simple experimental approach to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse the efficiency of a micro- and nanorough surface structure. Nauphoeta cinerea and Gastrophysa viridula as model organisms for insects with smooth and hairy adhesive pads, respectively, were placed in an enclosed environment. The escape movements of freely running insects over either the repellent or a control surfaces were counted and analyzed in detail. The tested surface structures were able to significantly reduce the escape of cockroaches with smooth adhesive pads by 44.1%. Interestingly, the data indicates that N. cinerea might use mechanical cues from the antenna to discriminate between surfaces before making contact with the adhesive pads. G. viridula with hairy adhesive pads were not significantly affected by the surface structure. By carefully adjusting 'critical' surface topography parameters relevant for insect adhesion, more efficient and selective repellent surfaces might be achieved. Such nanostructure-based insect repellent surfaces could also help to utilize recruitment behavior of certain insect species and might present a novel approach to effectively control insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Graf
- Department of Biomimetics, Hochschule Bremen City University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, Germany
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37
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Rodríguez-Morales D, Rico-Gray V, García-Franco JG, Ajuria-Ibarra H, Hernández-Salazar LT, Robledo-Ospina LE, Rao D. Context-dependent crypsis: a prey's perspective of a color polymorphic predator. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:36. [PMID: 29754205 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1562-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Many animals use body coloration as a strategy to communicate with conspecifics, prey, and predators. Color is a trade-off for some species, since they should be visible to conspecifics but cryptic to predators and prey. Some flower-dwelling predators, such as crab spiders, are capable of choosing the color of flowers where they ambush flower visitors and pollinators. In order to avoid being captured, visitors evaluate flowers visually before landing. The crab spider Mecaphesa dubia is a polymorphic species (white/purple color morphs), which inhabits the flower heads of a dune plant, Palafoxia lindenii. Using full-spectrum photography of spiders and flowers, we evaluated how honeybees perceived the spiders at different distances. Using visual modeling, we obtained the chromatic and achromatic contrasts of the spiders on flower heads as perceived by honeybees. Purple morphs were found mainly on the receptacle area and white morphs were equally likely to be found in the flowers and receptacle. According to theoretical modeling, white morphs were visible to honeybees from a distance of 10 cm in receptacle area but appeared to be cryptic in the flower area. Purple morphs were cryptic on the receptacle and less so when they were on the flowers. Spiders on flower heads are predicted to be more easily detected by honeybees using chromatic contrast. Our study shows that the conspicuousness of flower dwelling spiders to honeybees depends on the color morph, the distance of observation, and the position of spider on the flower head.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Rodríguez-Morales
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo, Col. Industrial Animas, Xalapa, 91190, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - V Rico-Gray
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo, Col. Industrial Animas, Xalapa, 91190, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - J G García-Franco
- Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, 91070, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - H Ajuria-Ibarra
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Culturas Veracruzanas No. 101, Xalapa, 91090, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - L T Hernández-Salazar
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo, Col. Industrial Animas, Xalapa, 91190, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - L E Robledo-Ospina
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Carretera antigua a Coatepec No. 351, Xalapa, 91070, Veracruz, Mexico.,Grupo de Aracnología, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales, Colombia
| | - D Rao
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Culturas Veracruzanas No. 101, Xalapa, 91090, Veracruz, Mexico
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38
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Lawson DA, Rands SA. The evolution of floral guides: using a genetic algorithm to investigate the evolution of floral cue arrangements. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A Lawson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, UK
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39
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van der Kooi CJ, Elzenga JTM, Staal M, Stavenga DG. How to colour a flower: on the optical principles of flower coloration. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0429. [PMID: 27170723 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The coloration of flowers is due to the wavelength-selective absorption by pigments of light backscattered by structures inside the petals. We investigated the optical properties of flowers using (micro)spectrophotometry and anatomical methods. To assess the contribution of different structures to the overall visual signal of flowers, we used an optical model, where a petal is considered as a stack of differently pigmented and structured layers and we interpreted the visual signals of the model petals with insect vision models. We show that the reflectance depends, in addition to the pigmentation, on the petal's thickness and the inhomogeneity of its interior. We find large between-species differences in floral pigments, pigment concentration and localization, as well as floral interior structure. The fractions of reflected and transmitted light are remarkably similar between the studied species, suggesting common selective pressures of pollinator visual systems. Our optical model highlights that pigment localization crucially determines the efficiency of pigmentary filtering and thereby the chromatic contrast and saturation of the visual signal. The strongest visual signal occurs with deposition of pigments only on the side of viewing. Our systematic approach and optical modelling open new perspectives on the virtues of flower colour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper J van der Kooi
- Department of Computational Physics, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - J Theo M Elzenga
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marten Staal
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Doekele G Stavenga
- Department of Computational Physics, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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40
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Ajuria-Ibarra H, Tapia-McClung H, Rao D. Mapping the variation in spider body colouration from an insect perspective. Evol Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-017-9904-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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41
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Borghi M, Fernie AR, Schiestl FP, Bouwmeester HJ. The Sexual Advantage of Looking, Smelling, and Tasting Good: The Metabolic Network that Produces Signals for Pollinators. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 22:338-350. [PMID: 28111171 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
A striking feature of the angiosperms that use animals as pollen carriers to sexually reproduce is the great diversity of their flowers with regard to morphology and traits such as color, odor, and nectar. These traits are underpinned by the synthesis of secondary metabolites such as pigments and volatiles, as well as carbohydrates and amino acids, which are used by plants to lure and reward animal pollinators. We review here the knowledge of the metabolic network that supports the biosynthesis of these compounds and the behavioral responses that these molecules elicit in the animal pollinators. Such knowledge provides us with a deeper insight into the ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator interactions, and should help us to better manage these ecologically essential interactions in agricultural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Borghi
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Muehlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Florian P Schiestl
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zürich
| | - Harro J Bouwmeester
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands; Present address: Plant Hormone Biology group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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42
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour Psychology University of Exeter Perry Road Exeter EX4 4QG UK
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43
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Russell AL, Newman CR, Papaj DR. White flowers finish last: pollen-foraging bumble bees show biased learning in a floral color polymorphism. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9848-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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44
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Dafni A, Vereecken NJ. Pollination biology from micro-morphological adaptations to community ecology of plant-pollinator interactions. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:3-8. [PMID: 26768999 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A Dafni
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.
| | - N J Vereecken
- Agroecology & Pollination Group, Landscape Ecology & Plant Production Systems, Interfaculty School of Bioengineering, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
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