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Dahake A, Persaud SG, Jones MN, Goyret J, Davidowitz G, Raguso RA. Dying of thirst: Osmoregulation by a hawkmoth pollinator in response to variability in ambient humidity and nectar availability. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 159:104700. [PMID: 39255897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Climate-induced shifts in flowering phenology can disrupt pollinator-floral resource synchrony, especially in desert ecosystems where rainfall dictates both. However, baseline metrics to gauge pollinator health in the wild amidst rapid climate change are lacking. Our laboratory-based study establishes a baseline for pollinator physiological state by exploring how osmotic conditions influence survivorship in a desert hawkmoth pollinator, Manduca sexta. We sampled hemolymph osmolality from over 1000 lab-grown moths at 20 %, 50 %, and 80 % ambient humidity levels. Starved moths maintained healthy osmolality of 350-400 mmol/kg for 1-3 days after eclosion regardless of ambient humidity, but it sharply rose to 550 mmol/kg after 4-5 days in low and moderate humidity, and after 5 days in high humidity. Starved moths in low humidity conditions perished within 5 days, while those in high humidity survived twice as long. Moths fed synthetic Datura wrightii nectar, synthetic Agave palmeri nectar, or water, maintained osmolality within a healthy range of 350-400mmol/kg. The same was true for moths fed authentic floral nectars from Datura and Agave plants, although moths consumed more synthetic than authentic nectars, possibly due to non-sugar constituents. Simulating a 4-day mismatch between pollinator emergence and nectar availability, a single nectar meal osmotically rescued moths under dry ambient conditions. Our findings highlight hemolymph osmolality as a rapid and accurate biomarker distinguishing dehydrated from hydrated states in insect pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajinkya Dahake
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Steven G Persaud
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Marnesha N Jones
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Joaquín Goyret
- Department of Biology, University of Tennessee, Martin, TN 38237, USA
| | - Goggy Davidowitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Ancajima GP, Alicrin DA Silva M, DE Oliveira PE, Duarte M. Study of the pollen type in Neotropical hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae: Macroglossinae) collected in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Integr Zool 2024; 19:777-783. [PMID: 37989725 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
We recorded 14 pollen types belonging to 12 families of angiosperms. Pera (Peraceae) pollen type was found in all genera and was the most abundant. Our results suggest low specificity in the choice of flowers; thus, Sphingids with either short or long proboscises visited flowers of the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maicon Alicrin DA Silva
- Laboratory of Micropaleontology-Setembrino Petri; Department of Sedimentary and Environmental Geology, Institute of Geosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Eduardo DE Oliveira
- Laboratory of Micropaleontology-Setembrino Petri; Department of Sedimentary and Environmental Geology, Institute of Geosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences (São Paulo University), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Duarte
- Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Wang X, Fu X, Shi M, Xue C, Yang J, Zhao Z, Li S, Tu T. Multiple interaction networks reveal that Lepidoptera larvae and adults prefer various host plants for diet and pollination. Integr Zool 2024; 19:763-776. [PMID: 37427545 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Plant-Lepidoptera interactions are often studied using the pollination or herbivore networks only. Lepidoptera species are involved in two types of plant-insect interactions because they are herbivores as larvae and pollinators as adults. The study of entangled networks is critical, since the interaction of different networks can affect the overall network and community stability. Here, we studied the interaction of plants and Lepidoptera on the Yongxing Island, South China Sea. A plant-lepidopteran pollination network and a plant-lepidopteran herbivore network were built by using data from flower-pollinator and leaf-herbivore interactions. We then combined the two networks into a single network. We measured plant composition similarity within each sub-network and across sub-networks for Lepidoptera species. Our findings indicate that the plant-Lepidoptera pollination network and the herbivory network share significant proportions of Lepidoptera but small proportions of plant assemblages. The pollination network had higher nestedness and connectance than the herbivore network. Agrius convolvuli was the most specialized species, while Zizina otis had the highest species strength in the pollination network. Most Lepidoptera species were highly specialized in the herbivore network and their importance positively correlated across the two networks. Furthermore, there was no dietary composition similarity between the two networks for most Lepidoptera species. Our findings highlight the visible structural difference between the pollination and the herbivore networks. Adult Lepidoptera selects different plants for oviposition and feeding, a strategy that may benefit their reproduction and survival by sustaining adequate resources for their two life stages and the diversity of both plants and insects in oceanic island communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Fu
- Ningxia Yunwu Mountain National Natural Reserve, Guyuan, China
| | - Miaomiao Shi
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunquan Xue
- Guangdong Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiazhi Yang
- Guangdong Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongtao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shijin Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tieyao Tu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
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Wang B, Tong ZY, Xiong YZ, Wang XF, Scott Armbruster W, Huang SQ. The evolution of flower-pollinator trait matching, and why do some alpine gingers appear to be mismatched? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:1073-1088. [PMID: 37751161 PMCID: PMC10809048 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad141] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Morphological matching between flower and pollinator traits has been documented in diverse plant lineages. Indeed, the matching of corolla tube length and pollinator tongue length has been cited repeatedly as a classic case of coevolution. However, there are many possible evolutionary routes to trait matching. Our aim here is both to review the evolutionary mechanisms of plant-pollinator trait matching and to investigate a specific case of trait matching/mismatching in a genus of alpine gingers. METHODS Roscoea gingers with long corolla tubes in the western Himalayas have pollinators with correspondingly long tongues, but the match between corolla tube and pollinator tongue lengths is not seen in the eastern Himalayas. Six floral traits were measured, including corolla tube depth, an internal trait controlling pollinator access to nectar. We calculated coefficients of variation and phylogenetically controlled correlation patterns of these traits in six Roscoea species in order to gain possible insights into stabilizing selection and modularization of these traits. KEY RESULTS The distal (nectar-containing) portion of the corolla tube exhibited lower coefficients of variations than did the basal portion. This is consistent with the hypothesis that pollinators mediate stabilizing selection on the distal, but not basal, portion of the corolla tube. This result, combined with phylogenetic data, suggests that the elevated liquid level of nectar in the distal tube evolved subsequent to dispersal into the eastern Himalayan region and loss of long-tongue pollinators. After accounting for phylogeny, corolla tube length, anther length, style length and labellum width were all intercorrelated. Corolla-tube depth was not part of this covariational module, however, suggesting separate adaptation to short-tongued pollinators. CONCLUSIONS The reduction in functional corolla tube depth in the Roscoea appears to be related to the loss of long-tongued pollinators associated with dispersal to the eastern Himalayas and pollination by short-tongued pollinators. The apparent mismatch between floral tubes and pollinator tongues is a case of cryptic trait matching between flowers and pollinators, underscoring the importance of combining floral anatomy with pollination ecology in assessing plant-pollinator trait matching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, The College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ze-Yu Tong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ying-Ze Xiong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, The College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - W Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO12DY, UK
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Shuang-Quan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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McCarren S, Johnson SD, Theron GL, Coetzee A, Turner R, Midgley J. Flower orientation and corolla length as reproductive barriers in the pollinator-driven divergence of Erica shannonea and Erica ampullacea. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2023; 25:1083-1090. [PMID: 37676744 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13575] [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] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
A variety of reproductive barriers can enable reproductive isolation and stable coexistence of plant species. Differing floral traits might play an important role in reproductive isolation imposed by pollinators. Such shifts in pollinator use have been hypothesized to contribute to the radiation of Erica (Ericaceae) in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. The sister species Erica shannonea and Erica ampullacea co-occur and overlap in flowering phenology. Both have unscented long-tubed flowers consistent with adaptations for pollination by long-proboscid flies (LPFs), but differences in flower orientation and corolla tube length are indicative of a shift in pollinator species. We conducted controlled pollination experiments and pollinator observations to determine the breeding system and pollinators of the two species. Both species are self-incompatible and require pollinator visits for seed production, suggesting that pollinators could strongly influence flower evolution. The horizontally orientated flowers of E. shannonea were found to be pollinated by Philoliche rostrata (Tabanidae), which has a long, fixed forward-pointing proboscis, while the vertically upright orientated flowers of E. ampullacea were found to be pollinated by Prosoeca westermanni (Nemestrinidae), which has a shorter proboscis that can swivel downwards. The nemestrinid fly's proboscis is too short to access the nectar in the relative long-tubed flowers of E. shannonea and the tabanid fly's proboscis cannot swivel down to access the upright flowers of E. ampullacea. Consequently, these traits are likely to act as reproductive barriers between the two Erica species and thereby might have contributed to speciation and enable stable coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- S McCarren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - S D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - G L Theron
- Department of Natural Sciences, KwaZulu-Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - A Coetzee
- Nelson-Mandela University, George, South Africa
| | - R Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - J Midgley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Wang B, Tong ZY, Xiong YZ, Wang XF, Armbruster WS, Huang SQ. Degree of style coiling is associated with corolla-tube length in the nectarless flowers of Roscoea schneideriana. PLANT DIVERSITY 2023; 45:748-751. [PMID: 38197006 PMCID: PMC10772087 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The plant-pollinator 'arms race' model posits that a major driver of the evolution of elongated corollas in flowers is reciprocal selection for 'morphological fit' between pollinator-tongue length and access distance to nectar (usually corolla-tube length). Evidence for the pollinator-mediated selection on tube length and evolution of multiple, correlated floral traits remains inconclusive. To gain possible insights into the strength of stabilizing selection by assessing standing phenotypic variation, we measured a series of functionally important floral traits, including corolla tube length and 'effective' tube depth and degree of style coiling. We then calculated coefficients of variation (CV) for these traits in three field populations of R. schneideriana. Unlike in most long-tubed flowers, the bottom part of the corolla tube is completely occupied by the style, with no room for nectar. The length of this portion of the corolla tube was more variable (higher CV) than the upper part of the corolla tube, suggesting that functional tube depth was under stronger stabilizing selection. The degree of style coiling was negatively related to the corolla-tube length in all three populations of R. schneideriana, suggesting that there may be conflicting selection acting on style length and corolla-tube length, which are otherwise usually tightly correlated. Given the lack of nectar in the flowers of this species, the long corolla tubes and long styles may represent morphological holdovers from ancestors that were pollinated by long-tongued pollinators, as is still seen in related species in the western Himalayas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ze-Yu Tong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ying-Ze Xiong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - W. Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO12DY, UK
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Shuang-Quan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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7
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Johnson SD, Harder LD. The economy of pollen dispersal in flowering plants. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231148. [PMID: 37788703 PMCID: PMC10547555 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating success of flowering plants depends strongly on the efficiencies of pollen removal from flowers and its subsequent dispersal to conspecific stigmas. We characterized the economy of pollen dispersal in flowering plants by analysing pollen fates and their correlates for 228 species. The mean percentage of pollen removed from flowers (removal efficiency) varied almost twofold according to the type of pollen-dispersal unit, from less than 45% for orchids and milkweeds with solid pollinia, to greater than 80% for species with granular monads or sectile (segmented) pollinia. The mean percentage of removed pollen reaching stigmas (pollen transfer efficiency, PTE) varied from 2.4% for species with separate monads to 27.0% for orchids with solid pollinia. These values tended to be higher in plants with single pollinator species and in those with non-grooming pollinators. Nectar production increased removal efficiency, but did not influence PTE. Among types of pollen-dispersal units, the net percentage of produced pollen that was dispersed to stigmas varied negatively with removal efficiency and positively with PTE, indicating the relative importance of the latter for overall pollen economy. These findings confirm the key importance of floral traits, particularly pollen packaging, for pollen dispersal outcomes and highlight the under-appreciated pollination efficiency of non-grooming pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D. Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
| | - Lawrence D. Harder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
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Palaoro AV, Gole AR, Sun Y, Puchalski A, Beard CE, Adler PH, Kornev KG. Wettability and morphology of proboscises interweave with hawkmoth evolutionary history. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245699. [PMID: 37724664 PMCID: PMC10617603 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Hovering hawkmoths expend significant energy while feeding, which should select for greater feeding efficiency. Although increased feeding efficiency has been implicitly assumed, it has never been assessed. We hypothesized that hawkmoths have proboscises specialized for gathering nectar passively. Using contact angle and capillary pressure to evaluate capillary action of the proboscis, we conducted a comparative analysis of wetting and absorption properties for 13 species of hawkmoths. We showed that all 13 species have a hydrophilic proboscis. In contradistinction, the proboscises of all other tested lepidopteran species have a wetting dichotomy with only the distal ∼10% hydrophilic. Longer proboscises are more wettable, suggesting that species of hawkmoths with long proboscises are more efficient at acquiring nectar by the proboscis surface than are species with shorter proboscises. All hawkmoth species also show strong capillary pressure, which, together with the feeding behaviors we observed, ensures that nectar will be delivered to the food canal efficiently. The patterns we found suggest that different subfamilies of hawkmoths use different feeding strategies. Our comparative approach reveals that hawkmoths are unique among Lepidoptera and highlights the importance of considering the physical characteristics of the proboscis to understand the evolution and diversification of hawkmoths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre V. Palaoro
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Akshata R. Gole
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Yueming Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Adam Puchalski
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Charles E. Beard
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Peter H. Adler
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Konstantin G. Kornev
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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Albuquerque-Lima S, Domingos-Melo A, Milet-Pinheiro P, Navarro DMDOAF, Taylor NP, Zappi DC, Machado IC. The iconic cactus of the Caatinga dry forest, Cereus jamacaru (Cactaceae) has high sphingophily specialization and pollinator dependence. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2023; 95:e20220460. [PMID: 37646712 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320220460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cereus jamacaru is a cactus distributed in Northeastern Brazil, with high symbolic value to this region. However, the interaction, behavior and the role of pollinators remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the reproductive biology, addressing the ecological significance of floral attributes, including details about floral signaling. The study was carried at three areas of the Caatinga, in 2015, 2017 and 2021. We analyzed the floral morphometry, volume and concentration of the nectar, and characterized the colour and scent of flowers. Additionally, we described the pollinator behavior and performed controlled pollination experiments. The 'Mandacaru' is self-incompatible, has nocturnal anthesis and the nectar is accumulated as droplets in a long hypanthial tube. The flowers have a reflective pattern with a dark outer surface and a white inner surface. (E)-nerolidol is the major component (87.4%) of its floral perfume. We registered the sphingid moth Cocytius antaeus visiting the flowers. The floral attributes, attractants and rewards drives to a sphingophily, and the pollination treatments showed the dependence to fruit set by C. antaeus, the pollinator registered. In this case, if the apparent lack of pollinator diversity encompasses its entire range, the loss of the hawkmoth could severely impact the reproductive success of the cactus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinzinando Albuquerque-Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Biologia Floral e Reprodutiva - POLINIZAR, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Arthur Domingos-Melo
- Universidade de Pernambuco, Laboratório de Ecologia, Campus Petrolina, Rodovia BR 203, Km 2, s/n, Vila Eduardo, 56328-900 Petrolina, PE, Brazil
| | - Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Universidade de Pernambuco, Laboratório de Ecologia, Campus Petrolina, Rodovia BR 203, Km 2, s/n, Vila Eduardo, 56328-900 Petrolina, PE, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Daniela Maria DO Amaral Ferraz Navarro
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Nigel P Taylor
- University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Campus, 'The Alameda', Red Sands Road, PO Box 843, Gibraltar GX11 1AA
| | - Daniela C Zappi
- Universidade de Brasília, Secretaria da Coordenação de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Caixa Postal 04457, 70919-970 Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Isabel C Machado
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Biologia Floral e Reprodutiva - POLINIZAR, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil
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Xiang GJ, Lázaro A, Dai XK, Xia J, Yang CF. Pollinator Proboscis Length Plays a Key Role in Floral Integration of Honeysuckle Flowers ( Lonicera spp.). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1629. [PMID: 37111853 PMCID: PMC10144162 DOI: 10.3390/plants12081629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator-mediated selection is supposed to influence floral integration. However, the potential pathway through which pollinators drive floral integration needs further investigations. We propose that pollinator proboscis length may play a key role in the evolution of floral integration. We first assessed the divergence of floral traits in 11 Lonicera species. Further, we detected the influence of pollinator proboscis length and eight floral traits on floral integration. We then used phylogenetic structural equation models (PSEMs) to illustrate the pathway through which pollinators drive the divergence of floral integration. Results of PCA indicated that species significantly differed in floral traits. Floral integration increased along with corolla tube length, stigma height, lip length, and the main pollinators' proboscis length. PSEMs revealed a potential pathway by which pollinator proboscis length directly selected on corolla tube length and stigma height, while lip length co-varied with stigma height. Compared to species with short corolla tubes, long-tube flowers may experience more intense pollinator-mediated selection due to more specialized pollination systems and thus reduce variation in the floral traits. Along elongation of corolla tube and stigma height, the covariation of other relevant traits might help to maintain pollination success. The direct and indirect pollinator-mediation selection collectively enhances floral integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gan-Ju Xiang
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Amparo Lázaro
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA; UIB-CSIC), 07190 Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Department of Biology, Ecology Area, University of the Balearic Islands, 07190 Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Xiao-Kang Dai
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jing Xia
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Chun-Feng Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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11
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Diniz UM, Aguiar LMDS. The interplay between spatiotemporal overlap and morphology as determinants of microstructure suggests no 'perfect fit' in a bat-flower network. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2737. [PMID: 36792891 PMCID: PMC9932087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29965-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-pollinator interactions in diverse tropical communities are often predicted by a combination of ecological variables, yet the interaction drivers between flower-visiting bats and plants at the community level are poorly understood. We assembled a network between Neotropical bats and flowering plants to describe its macrostructure and to test the role of neutral and niche variables in predicting microstructure. We found a moderately generalized network with internally nested modules comprising functionally similar plant and bat species. Modules grouped bats and plants with matching degrees of specialization but had considerable overlap in species morphologies and several inter-module interactions. The spatiotemporal overlap between species, closely followed by morphology, and not abundance, were the best predictors of microstructure, with functional groups of bats also interacting more frequently with plants in certain vegetation types (e.g., frugivores within forests) and seasons (e.g., long-snouted nectarivores in the dry season). Therefore, flower-visiting bats appear to have species-specific niche spaces delimited not only by their ability to exploit certain flower types but also by preferred foraging habitats and the timing of resource availability. The prominent role of resource dissimilarity across vegetation types and seasons likely reflects the heterogeneity of Neotropical savannas, and further research in biomes beyond the Cerrado is needed to better understand the complexity of this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Mendes Diniz
- Plant-Insect Interactions, School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany. .,Graduate Program in Ecology, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
| | - Ludmilla Moura de Souza Aguiar
- grid.7632.00000 0001 2238 5157Graduate Program in Ecology, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil ,grid.7632.00000 0001 2238 5157Zoology Department, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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12
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Wenzell KE, Skogen KA, Fant JB. Range‐wide floral trait variation reflects shifts in pollinator assemblages, consistent with pollinator‐mediated divergence despite generalized visitation. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Wenzell
- John Innes Centre Colney Lane Norwich UK
- Northwestern Univ., Program in Plant Biology and Conservation Evanston IL USA
- Negaunee Inst. for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL USA
| | - Krissa A. Skogen
- Northwestern Univ., Program in Plant Biology and Conservation Evanston IL USA
- Negaunee Inst. for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL USA
- Clemson Univ., Dept of Biological Sciences Clemson SC USA
| | - Jeremie B. Fant
- Northwestern Univ., Program in Plant Biology and Conservation Evanston IL USA
- Negaunee Inst. for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL USA
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13
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Kantsa A, Garcia JE, Raguso RA, Dyer AG, Steen R, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T. Intrafloral patterns of color and scent in Capparis spinosa L. and the ghosts of its selection past. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16098. [PMID: 36371789 PMCID: PMC10108209 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Capparis spinosa is a widespread charismatic plant, in which the nocturnal floral habit contrasts with the high visitation by diurnal bees and the pronounced scarcity of hawkmoths. To resolve this discrepancy and elucidate floral evolution of C. spinosa, we analyzed the intrafloral patterns of visual and olfactory cues in relation to the known sensory biases of the different visitor guilds (bees, butterflies, and hawkmoths). METHODS We measured the intrafloral variation of scent, reflectance spectra, and colorimetric properties according to three guilds of known visitors of C. spinosa. Additionally, we sampled visitation rates using a motion-activated camera. RESULTS Carpenter bees visited the flowers eight times more frequently than nocturnal hawkmoths, at dusk and in the following morning. Yet, the floral headspace of C. spinosa contained a typical sphingophilous scent with high emission rates of certain monoterpenes and amino-acid derived compounds. Visual cues included a special case of multisensory nectar guide and color patterns conspicuous to the visual systems of both hawkmoths and bees. CONCLUSIONS The intrafloral patterns of sensory stimuli suggest that hawkmoths have exerted strong historical selection on C. spinosa. Our study revealed two interesting paradoxes: (a) the flowers phenotypically biased towards the more inconsistent pollinator; and (b) floral display demands an abundance of resources that seems maladaptive in the habitats of C. spinosa. The transition to a binary pollination system accommodating large bees has not required phenotypic changes, owing to specific eco-physiological adaptations, unrelated to pollination, which make this plant an unusual case in pollination ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aphrodite Kantsa
- Department of GeographyUniversity of the AegeanMytileneGreece
- Present address:
Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Bio‐Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and CommunicationRMIT UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Robert A. Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorCornell University, IthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Bio‐Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and CommunicationRMIT UniversityMelbourneAustralia
- Department of PhysiologyMonash UniversityClaytonAustralia
- Present address:
Department of Developmental Biology and NeurobiologyJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Ronny Steen
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
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14
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Reinwald C, Bauder JA, Karolyi F, Neulinger M, Jaros S, Metscher B, Krenn HW. Evolutionary functional morphology of the proboscis and feeding apparatus of hawk moths (Sphingidae: Lepidoptera). J Morphol 2022; 283:1390-1410. [PMID: 36059242 PMCID: PMC9825987 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The morphology of the proboscis and associated feeding organs was studied in several nectar-feeding hawk moths, as well as a specialized honey-feeder and two supposedly nonfeeding species. The proboscis lengths ranged from a few millimeters to more than 200 mm. Despite the variation in proboscis length and feeding strategy, the principle external and internal composition of the galeae, the stipes pump, and the suction pump were similar across all species. The morphology of the smooth and slender proboscis is highly conserved among all lineages of nectar-feeding Sphingidae. Remarkably, they share a typical arrangement of the sensilla at the tip. The number and length of sensilla styloconica are independent from proboscis length. A unique proboscis morphology was found in the honey-feeding species Acherontia atropos. Here, the distinctly pointed apex displays a large subterminal opening of the food canal, and thus characterizes a novel type of piercing proboscis in Lepidoptera. In the probably nonfeeding species, the rudimentary galeae are not interlocked and the apex lacks sensilla styloconica; galeal muscles, however, are present. All studied species demonstrate an identical anatomy of the stipes, and suction pump, regardless of proboscis length and diet. Even supposedly nonfeeding Sphingidae possess all organs of the feeding apparatus, suggesting that their proboscis rudiments might still be functional. The morphometric analyses indicate significant positive correlations between galea lumen volume and stipes muscle volume as well as the volume of the food canal and the muscular volume of the suction pump. Size correlations of these functionally connected organs reflect morphological fine-tuning in the evolution of proboscis length and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Florian Karolyi
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Sarah Jaros
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Brian Metscher
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Harald W. Krenn
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
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15
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A.J. Solomon Raju, S. Sravan Kumar, L. Kala Grace, K. Punny, Raliengoane TP, K. Prathyusha. Zoophily and nectar-robbing by sunbirds in Gardenia latifolia Ait. (Rubiaceae). JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2022. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.7930.14.8.21642-21650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Gardenia latifolia is a semi-deciduous tree species which blooms during the dry season. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, strongly fragrant, nectariferous, and specialized with a narrow corolla tube and concealed deep seated nectar. Thrips act as resident pollinators while bats and carpenter bees act as non-resident pollinators. Sunbirds act as nectar robbers and have no role in pollination. The flowers are milky white and fragrant on days 1 and 2; they cease fragrance and change color to golden yellow on day 3. Bats visit newly open, day 1 fragrant flowers for pollen collection while thrips use day 1 and day 2 flowers. Carpenter bees and sunbirds visit only day 2 flowers. The flower visiting activity of all these foragers indicates that they do not visit non-fragrant, golden yellow colored flowers although they possess nectar. Fruit is an indehiscent berry with seeds placed in pulp inside; the birds are the most likely seed dispersal agents when they break the pericarp and feed on the fruit pulp.
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16
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Wang X, Hu D, Chen Y, Xiang M, Tang H, Yi Y, Tang X. Ancillary polymorphic floral traits between two morphs adaptive to hawkmoth pollination in distylous plant Tirpitzia sinensis (Linaceae). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:273. [PMID: 35655126 PMCID: PMC9164504 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03659-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Floral morphs are characterized differentiations in reciprocal positions of sexual organs and ancillary floral traits in heterostylous plants. However, it remains unclear how differential floral morphs ensure reproductive success between morphs using the same pollinator. RESULTS Measurements of floral traits in white-flowered Tirpitzia sinensis with long corolla tubes indicated that it is typically distylous, long-styled (L-) morph producing more but smaller pollen grains per flower than short-styled (S-) morph. Both morphs secreted more nectar volume at night than in the day and the sugar composition was rich in sucrose, potentially adaptive to pollination by hawkmoths (Macroglossum spp.) which were active at dusk. A bumblebee species functioned as the nectar robber in both morphs and a honeybee as the pollen feeder in the S-morph. The L-morph secreted more nectar volume but relatively lower sucrose/hexose ratio than the S-morph. Floral visitation rate by hawkmoths was higher but its pollination efficiency was lower in the S-morph than the L-morph. Hand pollination treatments indicated self-incompatibility in T. sinensis and seed set of open-pollinated flowers did not differ between morphs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the two morphs differ with respect to traits relevant to pollination. The L-morph, with its exserted stigma, has more pollen grains per anther and a greater volume of nectar, which may prolong the foraging time and increase the pollination efficiency of hawkmoths. The S-morph has a higher sucrose/hexose ratio in its nectar which can be more attractive to hawkmoths and increase the visit rates. Ancillary polymorphic floral traits between two morphs are adaptive to hawkmoth and ensure reproductive success in distylous plant T. sinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Demei Hu
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Mengda Xiang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Hanqing Tang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Yin Yi
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Xiaoxin Tang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration On Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
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17
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Chen S, Wang Y, Li Y, Zhang X, Wu J. Effects of honeybee ( Apis cerana) visiting behaviour on toxic plant ( Tripterygium hypoglaucum) reproduction. AOB PLANTS 2022; 14:plac002. [PMID: 35531307 PMCID: PMC9071085 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees play a significant role in the plant-pollinator interactions of many flowering plants. The ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-pollinator interactions vary by geographic region, and the effects of honeybees on the reproduction of toxic plants have not been well studied. We measured the florescence of toxic plants, the flower-visiting behaviour of honeybees and the effects of pollination on the fertility, weight and moisture content of seeds. The effects of climatic factors on the number of flowers, and the spatial and temporal variation in pollinator visits were evaluated, and the effects of pollinator visits on seed quality were evaluated. Flower visitors were diverse, climatic factors had a great impact on spatio-temporal flowering variation and the number of bee visits was strongly correlated with the spatio-temporal variation in the number of flowers. Honeybees strongly increase the fullness and weight of seeds. Our study demonstrated a good ecological fit between the spatio-temporal variation in the flowering of toxic plants and the general validity of honeybee pollination syndrome in the south of Hengduan Mountains in East Asia. A linear relationship between honeybee visitation and plant reproduction can benefit the stabilization of plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunan Chen
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Key Laboratory of Bee Products for Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Bee Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunfei Wang
- Committee of Communist Youth League, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Li
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuewen Zhang
- Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 661101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Key Laboratory of Bee Products for Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Bee Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
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18
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Amorim FW, Marino S, Sanz‐Veiga PA, Ollerton J, Oliveira PE. Short flowers for long tongues: Functional specialization in a nocturnal pollination network of an asclepiad in long‐tongued hawkmoths. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Felipe W. Amorim
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações (LEPI) Programa de Pós‐graduação em Botânica Programa de Pós‐graduação em Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - Salvador Marino
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV) CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
| | - Priscila Andre Sanz‐Veiga
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações (LEPI) Programa de Pós‐graduação em Botânica Programa de Pós‐graduação em Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology University of Northampton Northampton UK
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19
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Smith GP, Davidowitz G, Alarcón R, Papaj DR, Bronstein JL. Sex differences in the foraging behavior of a generalist hawkmoth. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:304-314. [PMID: 33908191 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Within-species variation in pollinator behavior is widely observed, but its causes have been minimally investigated. Pollinator sex is associated with large differences in behavior that may lead to predictable differences in flower foraging, but this expectation has not been explicitly tested. We investigate sex-associated differences in nectar-foraging behavior of the hawkmoth Hyles lineata, using pollen on the proboscis as a proxy for flower visitation. We tested two predictions emerging from the literature: (1) the sexes differ in the flower species they visit, (2) females are more specialized in flower choice. We also examined potential drivers underlying these predictions by performing field and laboratory experiments to test whether males (3) switch among flower species more frequently, or (4) fly farther and therefore encounter more species than females. Consistent with prediction (1), pollen load composition differed between the sexes, indicative of visitation differences. Contrary to prediction (2), females consistently carried more species-rich pollen loads than males. (3) Both sexes switched between flower species at similar rates, suggesting that differences in floral fidelity are unlikely to explain why females are less specialized than males. (4) Males flew longer distances than females; coupled with larger between-site differences in pollen composition for females, this result suggests that sex differences in mobility influence foraging, and that females may forage more frequently and in smaller areas than males. Together, our results demonstrate that sex-associated foraging differences can be large and consistent over time, and highlight the importance of sex as a driver of variation in pollinator behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon P Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Current address: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Goggy Davidowitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Ruben Alarcón
- Department of Biology, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, USA
| | - Daniel R Papaj
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Judith L Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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20
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Klomberg Y, Tropek R, Mertens JEJ, Kobe IN, Hodeček J, Raška J, Fominka NT, Souto-Vilarós D, Janečková P, Janeček Š. Spatiotemporal variation in the role of floral traits in shaping tropical plant-pollinator interactions. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:839-850. [PMID: 35006639 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The pollination syndrome hypothesis predicts that plants pollinated by the same pollinator group bear convergent combinations of specific floral functional traits. Nevertheless, some studies have shown that these combinations predict pollinators with relatively low accuracy. This discrepancy may be caused by changes in the importance of specific floral traits for different pollinator groups and under different environmental conditions. To explore this, we studied pollination systems and floral traits along an elevational gradient on Mount Cameroon during wet and dry seasons. Using Random Forest (Machine Learning) models, allowing the ranking of traits by their relative importance, we demonstrated that some floral traits are more important than others for pollinators. However, the distribution and importance of traits vary under different environmental conditions. Our results imply the need to improve our trait-based understanding of plant-pollinator interactions to better inform the debate surrounding the pollination syndrome hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Klomberg
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Tropek
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jan E J Mertens
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ishmeal N Kobe
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Hodeček
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Swiss Human Institute of Forensic Taphonomy, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan Raška
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Nestoral T Fominka
- Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | | | - Petra Janečková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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21
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Kioko EN, Musyoki AM, Luanga AE, Kioko MD, Mwangi EW, Monda L. Geographical and temporal distribution of hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) species in Africa. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e70912. [PMID: 34795549 PMCID: PMC8595201 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e70912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hawkmoths consist of species where most adults are nocturnal, but there are some day-flying genera. Hawkmoth species have a wide variety of life-history traits, comprising species with adults (mostly nectarivorous though with some exceptions, honey-feeding), but there are also species that do not feed at all. The nectarivorous species are an important component of tropical ecosystems, with significant roles as major pollinators of both crops and wild flora with the pollination done by the adult stage. Pollinators are in decline world-wide and there is need for baseline data to provide information about their conservation strategies. Species occurrence data from Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa. The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have a large and active entomology collection that is in continuous growth. The NMK’s collection of hawkmoths had not been digitised prior to 2017. This moth family Sphingidae includes about 1,602 species and 205 genera worldwide (Kitching et al. 2018) with the majority of these species occurring in Africa. These moth species can also be used as indicators in biodiversity assessments as they can be easily sampled and identified. However, hawkmoths have rarely been surveyed over the long term for this purpose. Long-term datasets are of unquestionable significance for understanding and monitoring temporal changes in biodiversity. These hawkmoth data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation, the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution and have provided key historic hawkmoth species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations in the face of climate change and other environmental degradation issues that are facing the world today. The publication of the hawkmoth species occurrence data records in GBIF has enhanced data visibility to a wider audience promoting availability for use. New information The hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017 – 2020 and this paper presents details of species occurrence records as in the insect collection at the NMK, Nairobi, Kenya. The collection holds 5,095 voucher specimens consisting of 88 genera and 208 species. The collection covers the period between 1904 and 2020. The geographical distribution of the hawkmoths housed at the NMK covers East Africa at 81.41%, West Africa at 7.20%, Southern Africa at 6.89%, Central Africa at 4.02% and North Africa at 0.2%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther N Kioko
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
| | - Alex Mutinda Musyoki
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
| | - Augustine E Luanga
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
| | - Mwinzi Duncan Kioko
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
| | - Esther W Mwangi
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
| | - Lawrence Monda
- National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
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22
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Hollens-Kuhr H, van der Niet T, Cozien R, Kuhlmann M. Pollinator Community Predicts Trait Matching between Oil-Producing Flowers and a Guild of Oil-Collecting Bees. Am Nat 2021; 198:750-758. [PMID: 34762568 DOI: 10.1086/717050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe impact of pollinator community diversity on trait matching in plant-pollinator interactions is poorly studied, even though many mutualisms involve multiple interaction partners. We studied 10 communities in which one to three species of oil-collecting Rediviva bees pollinate the long-spurred, oil-producing flowers of Diascia "floribunda" to examine how pollinator diversity affects covariation of functional traits across sites and trait matching within sites. Floral spur length was significantly correlated with weighted grand mean foreleg length of the local bee community but not with foreleg length of individual bee species. The closeness of trait matching varied among populations and was inversely related to pollinator community diversity. For all bee species, trait matching was closest at sites characterized by exclusive pairwise interactions. Reduced trait matching associated with increased community diversity for individual pollinator species but close matching at the community level supports the importance of community context for shaping interacting traits of flowers and pollinators.
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23
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Zhao YH, Lázaro A, Li HD, Tao ZB, Liang H, Zhou W, Ren ZX, Xu K, Li DZ, Wang H. Morphological trait-matching in plant-Hymenoptera and plant-Diptera mutualisms across an elevational gradient. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:196-209. [PMID: 34668568 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Morphological trait-matching and species abundance are thought to be the main factors affecting the frequency and strength of mutualistic interactions. However, the relative importance of trait-matching and species abundance in shaping species interactions across environmental gradients remains poorly understood, especially for plant-insect mutualisms involving generalist species. Here, we characterised variation in species and trait composition and the relative importance of trait-matching and species abundance in shaping plant-Hymenoptera and plant-Diptera mutualisms in four meadows across an elevational gradient (2,725-3,910 m) in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southwest China. We also evaluated the effects of morphological traits of flower visitors and plant composition on their foraging specialisation (d' and normalised degree). There was a high degree of dissimilarity in the composition of Hymenoptera and Diptera visitors and their visited plants between communities. This variation was mainly driven by the spatial replacement of species. Both for plant-Hymenoptera and plant-Diptera networks, trait-matching between nectar tube depth and proboscis length was a stronger predictor of the interactions between temporally co-occurring plants and flower visitors than species abundance. Fourth-corner analyses revealed statistically significant trait-matching between nectar tube depth and proboscis length in plant-Hymenoptera networks at all sites, suggesting that Hymenoptera consistently foraged on plant species with nectar tube depths matching their proboscis lengths. By contrast, significant trait-matching in plant-Diptera networks was only observed at the two lower elevation sites. The species-level specialisation d' of flower visitors increased significantly as the proboscis length and the difference in nectar tube depth between the plant community and the plants visited by flower visitors increased. Our results highlight that the importance of trait-matching in shaping pairwise interactions and niche partitioning depends on the specific features (e.g. species composition and trait availability) of the plant-pollinator system. For specialised plant-Hymenoptera systems, trait-matching is an important determinant of species interactions, whereas for generalist plant-Diptera systems, trait-matching is relatively unimportant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Hui Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Amparo Lázaro
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Spain
| | - Hai-Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Tao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Huan Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Zong-Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Kun Xu
- Lijiang Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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Bariles JB, Cocucci AA, Soteras F. Pollination and fitness of a hawkmoth-pollinated plant are related to light pollution and tree cover. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Urbanization results in biodiversity-damaging land use change since it is normally associated with reduced vegetation cover and installation of artificial lights. Light pollution raises illumination levels of night skies and affects the behaviour of hawkmoths and their interactions with plants. In addition to feeding on flowers, adult hawkmoths require adequate daytime resting sites and specific host plants on which their caterpillars can feed. In this study, we assessed the relationships of light pollution and tree cover with pollen load and plant fitness of Erythrostemon gilliesii, a legume native to Argentina which exclusively depends on pollination by long-proboscid hawkmoths. We determined stigmatic pollen load, and seed and fruit set at six sites in Central Argentina. Plants growing in sites with highest light pollution and lowest tree cover received the least pollen loads on their stigmas. Where tree cover was lowest, germinated pollen load and plant fitness were lowest, even where light pollution was low. We found that light pollution together with tree cover may affect pollination, thus indirectly influencing the fitness of nocturnally pollinated plants. However, the indirect influence of light pollution on plant fitness may be dependent on the conservation status of neighbouring natural habitats, since in low light-polluted sites, tree cover seems to be the major factor influencing plant fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Belén Bariles
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo 495, X5000ZAA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea A Cocucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo 495, X5000ZAA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Florencia Soteras
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo 495, X5000ZAA Córdoba, Argentina
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Rico-Guevara A, Hurme KJ, Elting R, Russell AL. Bene"fit" Assessment in Pollination Coevolution: Mechanistic Perspectives on Hummingbird Bill-Flower Matching. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:681-695. [PMID: 34050734 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the reasons why flowering plants became the most diverse group of land plants is their association with animals to reproduce. The earliest examples of this mutualism involved insects foraging for food from plants and, in the process, pollinating them. Vertebrates are latecomers to these mutualisms, but birds, in particular, present a wide variety of nectar-feeding clades that have adapted to solve similar challenges. Such challenges include surviving on small caloric rewards widely scattered across the landscape, matching their foraging strategy to nectar replenishment rate, and efficiently collecting this liquid food from well-protected chambers deep inside flowers. One particular set of convergent traits among plants and their bird pollinators has been especially well studied: the match between the shape and size of bird bills and ornithophilous flowers. Focusing on a highly specialized group, hummingbirds, we examine the expected benefits from bill-flower matching, with a strong focus on the benefits to the hummingbird and how to quantify them. Explanations for the coevolution of bill-flower matching include (1) that the evolution of traits by bird-pollinated plants, such as long and thin corollas, prevents less efficient pollinators (e.g., insects) from accessing the nectar and (2) that increased matching, as a result of reciprocal adaptation, benefits both the bird (nectar extraction efficiency) and the plant (pollen transfer). In addition to nectar-feeding, we discuss how interference and exploitative competition also play a significant role in the evolution and maintenance of trait matching. We present hummingbird-plant interactions as a model system to understand how trait matching evolves and how pollinator behavior can modify expectations based solely on morphological matching, and discuss the implications of this behavioral modulation for the maintenance of specialization. While this perspective piece directly concerns hummingbird-plant interactions, the implications are much broader. Functional trait matching is likely common in coevolutionary interactions (e.g., in predator-prey interactions), yet the physical mechanisms underlying trait matching are understudied and rarely quantified. We summarize existing methods and present novel approaches that can be used to quantify key benefits to interacting partners in a variety of ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Rico-Guevara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Division of Ornithology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4300 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Kristiina J Hurme
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Rosalee Elting
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Division of Ornithology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4300 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Avery L Russell
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, 910 S John Q Hammons Pkwy, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
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Elevational and seasonal patterns of butterflies and hawkmoths in plant-pollinator networks in tropical rainforests of Mount Cameroon. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9710. [PMID: 33958665 PMCID: PMC8102585 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89012-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Butterflies and moths are conspicuous flower visitors but their role in plant-pollinator interactions has rarely been quantified, especially in tropical rainforests. Moreover, we have virtually no knowledge of environmental factors affecting the role of lepidopterans in pollination networks. We videorecorded flower-visiting butterflies and hawkmoths on 212 plant species (> 26,000 recorded hrs) along the complete elevational gradient of rainforests on Mount Cameroon in dry and wet seasons. Altogether, we recorded 734 flower visits by 80 butterfly and 27 hawkmoth species, representing only ~ 4% of all flower visits. Although lepidopterans visited flowers of only a third of the plant species, they appeared to be key visitors for several plants. Lepidopterans visited flowers most frequently at mid-elevations and dry season, mirroring their local elevational patterns of diversity. Characteristics of interaction networks showed no apparent elevational or seasonal patterns, probably because of the high specialisation of all networks. Significant non-linear changes of proboscis and forewing lengths were found along elevation. A positive relationship between the lengths of proboscis of hesperiid butterflies and tube of visited flowers was detected. Differences in floral preferences were found between sphingids and butterflies, revealing the importance of nectar production, floral size and shape for sphingids, and floral colour for butterflies. The revealed trait-matching and floral preferences confirmed their potential to drive floral evolution in tropical ecosystems.
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Byers KJRP, Bradshaw HD. Rational Design of a Novel Hawkmoth Pollinator Interaction in Mimulus Section Erythranthe. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.658710] [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
Diversification of theca. 275,000 extant flowering plant species has been driven in large part by coevolution with animal pollinators. A recurring pattern of pollinator shifts from hummingbird to hawkmoth pollination has characterized plant speciation in many western North American plant taxa, but in the genusMimulus(monkeyflowers) sectionErythranthethe evolution of hawkmoth pollination from hummingbird-pollinated ancestors has not occurred. We manipulated two flower color loci and tested the attractiveness of the resulting four color phenotypes (red, yellow, pink, and white) to naïve hawkmoths (Manduca sexta). Hawkmoths strongly prefer derived colors (yellow, pink, white) over the ancestral red when choosing an initial flower to visit, and generally preferred derived colors when total visits and total visit time were considered, with no hawkmoth preferring ancestral red over derived colors. The simple flower color genetics underlying this innate pollinator preference suggests a potential path for speciation into an unfilled hawkmoth-pollinated niche inMimulussectionErythranthe, and the deliberate design of a hawkmoth-pollinated flower demonstrates a new, predictive method for studying pollination syndrome evolution.
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Castañeda-Zárate M, Johnson SD, van der Niet T. Food Reward Chemistry Explains a Novel Pollinator Shift and Vestigialization of Long Floral Spurs in an Orchid. Curr Biol 2021; 31:238-246.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Queiroz JA, Diniz UM, Vázquez DP, Quirino ZM, Santos FAR, Mello MAR, Machado IC. Bats and hawkmoths form mixed modules with flowering plants in a nocturnal interaction network. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joel A. Queiroz
- Departamento de Educação Universidade Federal da Paraíba Mamanguape Brasil
| | - Ugo M. Diniz
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brasil
| | - Diego P. Vázquez
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas Mendoza Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Mendoza Argentina
| | - Zelma M. Quirino
- Departamento de Engenharia e Meio Ambiente Universidade Federal da Paraíba João Pessoa Brasil
| | - Francisco A. R. Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana Feira de Santana Brasil
| | | | - Isabel C. Machado
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brasil
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Moré M, Ibañez AC, Drewniak ME, Cocucci AA, Raguso RA. Flower Diversification Across "Pollinator Climates": Sensory Aspects of Corolla Color Evolution in the Florally Diverse South American Genus Jaborosa (Solanaceae). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:601975. [PMID: 33365042 PMCID: PMC7750315 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.601975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Flower phenotype may diverge within plant lineages when moving across "pollinator climates" (geographic differences in pollinator abundance or preference). Here we explored the potential importance of pollinators as drivers of floral color diversification in the nightshade genus Jaborosa, taking into account color perception capabilities of the actual pollinators (nocturnal hawkmoths vs. saprophilous flies) under a geographic perspective. We analyzed the association between transitions across environments and perceptual color axes using comparative methods. Our results revealed two major evolutionary themes in Jaborosa: (1) a "warm subtropical sphingophilous clade" composed of three hawkmoth-pollinated species found in humid lowland habitats, with large white flowers that clustered together in the visual space of a model hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) and a "cool-temperate brood-deceptive clade" composed of largely fly-pollinated species with small dark flowers found at high altitudes (Andes) or latitudes (Patagonian Steppe), that clustered together in the visual space of a model blowfly (Lucilia sp.) and a syrphid fly (Eristalis tenax). Our findings suggest that the ability of plants to colonize newly formed environments during Andean orogeny and the ecological changes that followed were concomitant with transitions in flower color as perceived by different pollinator functional groups. Our findings suggest that habitat and pollination mode are inextricably linked in the history of this South American plant lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Moré
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana C. Ibañez
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M. Eugenia Drewniak
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea A. Cocucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Robert A. Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Balducci MG, Van der Niet T, Johnson SD. Diel scent and nectar rhythms of an African orchid in relation to bimodal activity patterns of hawkmoth pollinators. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1155-1164. [PMID: 32674148 PMCID: PMC7684705 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The temporal dimensions of floral adaptation to pollinators are not yet well understood, partly because we lack accurate information on the diel rhythms of flower visitation for many pollinators. We investigated whether diel patterns of pollinator visitation to flowers of the African woodland orchid Bonatea polypodantha are synchronized with rhythms of floral anthesis, scent emission and nectar availability. METHODS Direct observations and motion-activated cameras were used to identify pollinators of B. polypodantha and to document their activity periods. The timing of pollinaria removal from flowers, emission of scent and availability of nectar was also measured. RESULTS We found that B. polypodantha is pollinated exclusively by short-tongued hawkmoths. Pollinaria of the orchid are affixed between the labial palps of the moths and brush over the protruding stigmatic arms. The flowers also receive visits by long-tongued hawkmoths, but these act as nectar thieves. Tracking of pollinaria removal from flowers confirmed that pollination occurs only at night. Camera footage revealed a striking crepuscular pattern of foraging by short-tongued hawkmoths with peaks of activity during the twilight periods at dusk and at dawn. In contrast, long-tongued hawkmoths were found to visit flowers throughout the night. Flowers of B. polypodantha exhibit unimodal peaks of anthesis, scent emission (dominated by nitrogenous aromatics) and nectar availability before or around dusk. CONCLUSIONS Flowers of B. polypodantha are pollinated exclusively by short-tongued hawkmoths, which show crepuscular foraging activity at dusk and dawn. Floral phenophases of the orchid are closely synchronized with the peak of pollinator activity at dusk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco G Balducci
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Timotheüs Van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
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Salamatin AA, Adler PH, Kornev KG. Lepidopteran mouthpart architecture suggests a new mechanism of fluid uptake by insects with long proboscises. J Theor Biol 2020; 510:110525. [PMID: 33065142 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Proboscises of many fluid-feeding insects share a common architecture: they have a partially open food canal along their length. This feature has never been discussed in relation to the feeding mechanism. We formulated and solved a fluid mechanics model of fluid uptake and estimated the time required to completely fill the food canal of the entire proboscis through the openings along its length. Butterflies and moths are taken as illustrative and representative of fluid-feeding insects. We demonstrated that the proposed mechanism of filling the proboscis with fluid through permeable lengthwise bands, in association with a thin film of saliva in the food canal, offers a competitive pathway for fluid uptake. Compared with the conventional mechanism of fluid uptake through apically restricted openings, the new mechanism provides a faster rate of fluid uptake, especially for long-tongued insects. Accordingly, long-tongued insects with permeable lengthwise bands would be able to more rapidly exploit a broader range of liquids in the form of films, pools, and discontinuous columns, thereby conserving energy and minimizing exposure to predators, particularly for hovering insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur A Salamatin
- 18 Kremlyovskaya str, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies & Institute of Computational Mathematics and Information Technologies, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan 420008, Russia.
| | - Peter H Adler
- 130 McGinty Court, E-143 Poole Agricultural Center, Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Konstantin G Kornev
- 515 Calhoun Drive, 161 Sirrine Hall, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson South Carolina 29634, USA.
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Amorim FW. Are the New World hummingbird-hawkmoths functional equivalents of hummingbirds? Ecology 2020; 101:e03161. [PMID: 33448357 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Felipe W Amorim
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações (LEPI), Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista 'Júlio de Mesquita Filho', Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-689, Brazil
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Phillips RD, Peakall R, van der Niet T, Johnson SD. Niche Perspectives on Plant-Pollinator Interactions. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:779-793. [PMID: 32386827 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ecological niches are crucial for species coexistence and diversification, but the niche concept has been underutilized in studying the roles of pollinators in plant evolution and reproduction. Pollination niches can be objectively characterized using pollinator traits, abundance, and distributions, as well as network topology. We review evidence that floral traits represent adaptations to pollination niches, where tradeoffs in trait deployment reinforce niche specialization. In turn, specialized pollination niches potentially increase speciation rates, foster species coexistence, and constrain species range limits. By linking studies of adaptation with those on speciation and coexistence, the pollination niche provides an organizing principle for research on plant reproduction, and conceptually unites these studies with fields of biology where the niche perspective is already firmly established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Phillips
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Evolution, La Trobe University, VIC 3086, Australia; Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions, WA 6005, Australia; Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - Rod Peakall
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Timotheüs van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
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35
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Does pollination syndrome reflect pollinator efficiency in Silene nutans? ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Soteras F, Rubini Pisano MA, Bariles JB, Moré M, Cocucci AA. Phenotypic selection mosaic for flower length influenced by geographically varying hawkmoth pollinator proboscis length and abiotic environment. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:985-998. [PMID: 31514238 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biotic and abiotic context may affect the intensity of interspecific interactions and subsequently drive locally particular phenotypic selection patterns on interacting traits. We evaluated the geographical variation of matching traits of the brush-type flowers of Caesalpinia gilliesii and of the proboscis length of its guild of hawkmoth pollinators, as well as their relationship with environmental variables. We assessed the geographical variation of interacting traits (style and filament vs mean proboscis length of the guild of hawkmoths) across seven populations and estimated phenotypic selection on the plant side. Interacting traits showed similar relationships with environmental variables. Phenotypic selection on the plant side was influenced by proboscis length and by environmental conditions. Mean proboscis length of the guild was shorter than previously recorded for the same study area, thus probably shifting the selective optima of flower length. We observed two presumptive coevolutionary cold spots where one-sided negative directional selection is acting on style length. The lack of selection on the pollinator side should be further confirmed. We provided joint evidence, mostly lacking, about the geographical variation of selective pressures on the plant side associated with both proboscis length and abiotic conditions. We suggest that recent environmental change may be shifting floral length optima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Soteras
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Malén Aluhé Rubini Pisano
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Julieta Belén Bariles
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marcela Moré
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea Arístides Cocucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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Stöckl AL, Kelber A. Fuelling on the wing: sensory ecology of hawkmoth foraging. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:399-413. [PMID: 30880349 PMCID: PMC6579779 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01328-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) comprise around 1500 species, most of which forage on nectar from flowers in their adult stage, usually while hovering in front of the flower. The majority of species have a nocturnal lifestyle and are important nocturnal pollinators, but some species have turned to a diurnal lifestyle. Hawkmoths use visual and olfactory cues including CO2 and humidity to detect and recognise rewarding flowers; they find the nectary in the flowers by means of mechanoreceptors on the proboscis and vision, evaluate it with gustatory receptors on the proboscis, and control their hovering flight position using antennal mechanoreception and vision. Here, we review what is presently known about the sensory organs and sensory-guided behaviour that control feeding behaviour of this fascinating pollinator taxon. We also suggest that more experiments on hawkmoth behaviour in natural settings are needed to fully appreciate their sensory capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lisa Stöckl
- Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362, Lund, Sweden.
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38
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Ibañez A, Moré M, Salazar G, Leiva S, Barboza G, Cocucci A. Crescendo, diminuendo and subito of the trumpets: winds of change in the concerted evolution between flowers and pollinators in Salpichroa (Solanaceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 132:90-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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39
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Klumpers SGT, Stang M, Klinkhamer PGL. Foraging efficiency and size matching in a plant-pollinator community: the importance of sugar content and tongue length. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:469-479. [PMID: 30609161 PMCID: PMC6850310 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing question in ecology is how species interactions are structured within communities. Although evolutionary theory predicts close size matching between floral nectar tube depth and pollinator proboscis length of interacting species, such size matching has seldom been shown and explained in multispecies assemblages. Here, we investigated the degree of size matching among Asteraceae and their pollinators and its relationship with foraging efficiency. The majority of pollinators, especially Hymenoptera, choose plant species on which they had high foraging efficiencies. When proboscides were shorter than nectar tubes, foraging efficiency rapidly decreased because of increased handling time. When proboscides were longer than nectar tubes, a decreased nectar reward rather than an increased handling time made shallow flowers more inefficient to visit. Altogether, this led to close size matching. Overall, our results show the importance of nectar reward and handling time as drivers of plant-pollinator network structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia G T Klumpers
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Martina Stang
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA
| | - Peter G L Klinkhamer
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
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40
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Bauder JAS, Karolyi F. Superlong Proboscises as Co-adaptations to Flowers. INSECT MOUTHPARTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29654-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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41
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Liu Q, Lu X, Zhang Q, Chen J, Zheng X, Zhang W, Liu X, Wang B. High niche diversity in Mesozoic pollinating lacewings. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3793. [PMID: 30224679 PMCID: PMC6141599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Niche diversity of pollinating insects plays a vital role in maintaining extant terrestrial ecosystems. A key dimension of pollination niches refers to the insect proboscis length that commonly matches the floral tube length. Here we describe new kalligrammatid lacewings (an iconic Mesozoic pollinating insect lineage) from late Cretaceous Burmese amber and Mesozoic sediments in China. Kalligrammatids display complex configurations of elongate mouthpart elements consisting of well-developed maxillae, labium and their palps. The mouthpart lengths vary among species, from 0.6 to 18.0 mm, suggesting corresponding variability in the floral tube lengths of Mesozoic plants. With the diversification of pollinating habits, the kalligrammatids presented highly divergent traits related to chemical communication and defence mechanisms. Together with other Mesozoic long-proboscid insects, these fossils not only reveal the high niche diversity of Mesozoic pollinating insects but also highlight the diversity of Mesozoic pollinator-dependent plants prior to the rise of angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiumei Lu
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Qingqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, 276000, Linyi, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, 276000, Linyi, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Three Gorges Entomological Museum, P.O. Box 4680, 400015, Chongqing, China
| | - Xingyue Liu
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China.
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China.
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42
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Albertoni FF, Mielke CGC, Duarte M. Saturniid moths (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea) from an Atlantic Rain Forest fragment in southeastern Brazil. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2018; 90:2827-2844. [PMID: 30043907 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201820170629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The light-attracted silk moths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) of the Boraceia Biological Station in the municipality of Salesópolis, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil have been sampled over more than seven decades (1942-2013). A total of 6,288 individuals (including a gynandromorph) belonging to five subfamilies, 46 genera and 133 species were identified. Hemileucinae was the most abundant and speciesrich subfamily, followed by Ceratocampinae, Arsenurinae, Saturniinae, and Oxyteninae. Hylesia Hübner, Automeris Hübner, and Dirphiopsis Bouvier (Hemileucinae) were the dominant genera in abundance and species richness. Only Automeris illustris (Walker), Gamelia remissoides Lemaire, and Hidripa paranensis (Bouvier) (Hemileucinae) were recorded in all months of sampling. Hylesia metapyrrha (Walker) was the most abundant saturniid species recorded at the station, with 375 specimens, followed by Hylesia oratex Dyar with 265 specimens, Dirphia muscosa Schaus with 261 specimens (all Hemileucinae); Copaxa canella Walker (Saturniinae) with 232 specimens, and Lonomia cf. obliqua Walker (Hemileucinae) with 106 specimens. Fifteen additional species were each represented by more than 100 specimens. The importance of the Boraceia Biological Station to the maintenance of the saturniid moth diversity in the Atlantic Forest is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano F Albertoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemática, Taxonomia Animal e Biodiversidade, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481, 04263-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Duarte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemática, Taxonomia Animal e Biodiversidade, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481, 04263-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Kantsa A, Raguso RA, Dyer AG, Olesen JM, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T. Disentangling the role of floral sensory stimuli in pollination networks. Nat Commun 2018. [PMID: 29531220 PMCID: PMC5847531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03448-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite progress in understanding pollination network structure, the functional roles of floral sensory stimuli (visual, olfactory) have never been addressed comprehensively in a community context, even though such traits are known to mediate plant–pollinator interactions. Here, we use a comprehensive dataset of floral traits and a novel dynamic data-pooling methodology to explore the impacts of floral sensory diversity on the structure of a pollination network in a Mediterranean scrubland. Our approach tracks transitions in the network behaviour of each plant species throughout its flowering period and, despite dynamism in visitor composition, reveals significant links to floral scent, and/or colour as perceived by pollinators. Having accounted for floral phenology, abundance and phylogeny, the persistent association between floral sensory traits and visitor guilds supports a deeper role for sensory bias and diffuse coevolution in structuring plant–pollinator networks. This knowledge of floral sensory diversity, by identifying the most influential phenotypes, could help prioritize efforts for plant–pollinator community restoration. Can floral phenotype predict the most influential species for maintaining plant–pollinator communities? Here, Kantsa et al. develop a methodology for trait-based analysis, revealing the critical role of floral scent, and floral colour as perceived by insects, in shaping visitation networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aphrodite Kantsa
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, 81100, Mytilene, Greece. .,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- Department of Media and Communication, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, 3000, VIC, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Jens M Olesen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas Tscheulin
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Theodora Petanidou
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
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44
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Duffy KJ, Johnson SD. Specialized mutualisms may constrain the geographical distribution of flowering plants. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171841. [PMID: 29093225 PMCID: PMC5698652 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that the geographical distributions of plants are governed mainly by abiotic variables. However, interactions with other organisms, such as pollinators, also have the potential to influence plant distributions. To investigate this, we developed niche models for 32 plant taxa that have specialized pollination systems and which are native to a biodiversity hotspot (South Africa). We found that the distributions of these taxa are best explained by a combination of biotic (pollinators) and abiotic factors, rather than by abiotic factors alone. For approximately 66% of these plant taxa, pollinator distributions were the factor that provided the best predictor of their niches. Furthermore, co-occurrence of these plants and their pollinators was generally not explained solely by shared abiotic niches, and thus probably reflects broad-scale positive ecological interactions. These results are consistent with the proposal that pollinator distributions may constrain plant distributions and highlight the general potential for species distributions to be shaped by positive interactions with other species. This has important consequences for predicting how distributions of species might change in the face of loss of their key mutualists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J Duffy
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
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45
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Young BE, Auer S, Ormes M, Rapacciuolo G, Schweitzer D, Sears N. Are pollinating hawk moths declining in the Northeastern United States? An analysis of collection records. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185683. [PMID: 28982152 PMCID: PMC5628844 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing attention to pollinators and their role in providing ecosystem services has revealed a paucity of studies on long-term population trends of most insect pollinators in many parts of the world. Because targeted monitoring programs are resource intensive and unlikely to be performed on most insect pollinators, we took advantage of existing collection records to examine long-term trends in northeastern United States populations of 26 species of hawk moths (family Sphingidae) that are presumed to be pollinators. We compiled over 6,600 records from nine museum and 14 private collections that spanned a 112-year period, and used logistic generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to examine long-term population trends. We controlled for uneven sampling effort by adding a covariate for list length, the number of species recorded during each sampling event. We found that of the 22 species for which there was sufficient data to assess population trends, eight species declined and four species increased in detection probability (the probability of a species being recorded during each year while accounting for effort, climate, and spatial effects in the GLMMs). Of the four species with too few records to statistically assess, two have disappeared from parts of their ranges. None of the four species with diurnal adults showed a trend in detection probability. Two species that are pests of solanaceous crops declined, consistent with a seven-fold drop in the area planted in tobacco and tomato crops. We found some evidence linking susceptibility to parasitoidism by the introduced fly Compsilura concinnata (Tachinidae) to declines. Moths with larvae that feed on vines and trees, where available evidence indicates that the fly is most likely to attack, had a greater propensity to decline than species that use herbs and shrubs as larval host plants. Species that develop in the spring, before Compsilura populations have increased, did not decline. However, restricting the analysis to hawk moth records from areas outside of a "refuge" area where Compsilura does not occur did not significantly increase the intensity of the declines as would be predicted if Compsilura was the primary cause of declines. Forests have recovered over the study period across most of the northeastern U.S., but this does not appear to have been a major factor because host plants of several of the declining species have increased in abundance with forest expansion and maturation. Climate variables used in the GLMMs were not consistently related to moth detection probability. Hawk moth declines may have ecological effects on both the plants pollinated by these species and vertebrate predators of the moths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce E. Young
- NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Auer
- NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Margaret Ormes
- NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Giovanni Rapacciuolo
- NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Dale Schweitzer
- NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
- Port Norris, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Nicole Sears
- NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
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46
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Netz C, Renner SS. Long-spurred Angraecum orchids and long-tongued sphingid moths on Madagascar: a time frame for Darwin’s predicted Xanthopan/Angraecum coevolution. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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47
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Nicolson SW, Wright GA. Plant–pollinator interactions and threats to pollination: perspectives from the flower to the landscape. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan W. Nicolson
- Department of Zoology & Entomology University of Pretoria Private Bag X20 Hatfield0028 South Africa
| | - Geraldine A. Wright
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution Institute of Neuroscience Newcastle University Newcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU UK
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48
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Armbruster WS. The specialization continuum in pollination systems: diversity of concepts and implications for ecology, evolution and conservation. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- William Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences University of Portsmouth PortsmouthPO1 2DY UK
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK99775‐7000 USA
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