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Lunau K, Dyer AG. The modelling of flower colour: spectral purity or colour contrast as biologically relevant descriptors of flower colour signals for bees depending upon the perceptual task. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024. [PMID: 38958933 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Flower colour is an important mediator of plant-pollinator interactions. While the reflectance of light from the flower surface and background are governed by physical properties, the perceptual interpretation of such information is generated by complex multilayered visual processing. Should quantitative modelling of flower signals strive for repeatable consistency enabled by parameter simplification, or should modelling reflect the dynamic way in which bees are known to process signals? We discuss why colour is an interpretation of spectral information by the brain of an animal. Different species, or individuals within a species, may respond differently to colour signals depending on sensory apparatus and/or individual experience. Humans and bees have different spectral ranges, but colour theory is strongly rooted in human colour perception and many principles of colour vision appear to be common. We discuss bee colour perception based on physiological, neuroanatomical and behavioural evidence to provide a pathway for modelling flower colours. We examine whether flower petals and floral guides as viewed against spectrally different backgrounds should be considered as a simple colour contrast problem or require a more dynamic consideration of how bees make perceptual decisions. We discuss that plants such as deceptive orchids may present signals to exploit bee perception, whilst many plants do provide honest signalling where perceived saturation indicates the probability of collecting nutritional rewards towards the centre of a flower that then facilitates effective pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lunau
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A G Dyer
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, und Neurobiologie, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany
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2
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Lunau K, De Camargo MGG, Brito VLG. Pollen, anther, stamen, and androecium mimicry. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:349-368. [PMID: 38407440 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Floral colours represent a highly diverse communication signal mainly involved in flower visitors' attraction and guidance, but also flower discrimination, filtering non-pollinators and discouraging floral antagonists. The divergent visual systems and colour preferences of flower visitors, as well as the necessity of cues for flower detection and discrimination, foster the diversity of floral colours and colour patterns. Despite the bewildering diversity of floral colour patterns, a recurrent component is a yellow UV-absorbing floral centre, and it is still not clear why this pattern is so frequent in angiosperms. The pollen, anther, stamen, and androecium mimicry (PASAM) hypothesis suggests that the system composed of the flowers possessing such yellow UV-absorbing floral reproductive structures, the flowers displaying central yellow UV-absorbing structures as floral guides, and the pollen-collecting, as well as pollen-eating, flower visitors responding to such signals constitute the world's most speciose mimicry system. In this review, we call the attention of researchers to some hypothetical PASAM systems around the globe, presenting some fascinating examples that illustrate their huge diversity. We will also present new and published data on pollen-eating and pollen-collecting pollinators' responses to PASAM structures supporting the PASAM hypothesis and will discuss how widespread these systems are around the globe. Ultimately, our goal is to promote the idea that PASAM is a plausible first approach to understanding floral colour patterns in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lunau
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M G G De Camargo
- Phenology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Biosciences Institute, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - V L G Brito
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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3
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Huang M, Meng JY, Tang X, Shan LL, Yang CL, Zhang CY. Identification, expression analysis, and functional verification of three opsin genes related to the phototactic behaviour of Ostrinia furnacalis. Mol Ecol 2024:e17323. [PMID: 38506493 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Ostrinia furnacalis is a disreputable herbivorous pest that poses a serious threat to corn crops. Phototaxis in nocturnal moths plays a crucial role in pest prediction and control. Insect opsins are the main component of insect visual system. However, the inherent molecular relationship between phototactic behaviour and vision of insects remains a mystery. Herein, three opsin genes were identified and cloned from O. furnacalis (OfLW, OfBL, and OfUV). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that all opsin genes had visual pigment (opsin) retinal binding sites and seven transmembrane domains. Opsin genes were distributed across different developmental stages and tissues, with the highest expression in adults and compound eyes. The photoperiod-induced assay elucidated that the expression of three opsin genes in females were higher during daytime, while their expression in males tended to increase at night. Under the sustained darkness, the expression of opsin genes increased circularly, although the increasing amplitude in males was lower when compared with females. Furthermore, the expression of OfLW, OfBL, and OfUV was upregulated under green, blue, and ultraviolet light, respectively. The results of RNA interference showed that the knockout of opsin genes decreased the phototaxis efficiency of female and male moths to green, blue, and ultraviolet light. Our results reveal that opsin genes are involved in the phototactic behaviour of moths, providing a potential target gene for pest control and a basis for further investigation on the phototactic behaviour of Lepidoptera insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Huang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jian-Yu Meng
- Guizhou Tobacco Science Research Institute, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xue Tang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Long-Long Shan
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Chang-Li Yang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Chang-Yu Zhang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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Watazu T, Hiraiwa MK, Inoue M, Mishima H, Ushimaru A, Hosaka T. Dominance of non-wetland-dependent pollinators in a plant community in a small natural wetland in Shimane, Japan. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2024; 137:191-201. [PMID: 38206495 PMCID: PMC10899375 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-023-01518-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Many wetland plants rely on insects for pollination. However, studies examining pollinator communities in wetlands remain limited. Some studies conducted in large wetlands (> 10 ha) have suggested that wetland-dependent flies, which spend their larval stage in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats, dominate as pollinators. However, smaller wetlands surrounded by secondary forests are more prevalent in Japan, in which pollinators from the surrounding environment might be important. Additionally, information regarding floral traits that attract specific pollinator groups in wetland communities is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the characteristics of insect pollinators in a small natural wetland (2.5 ha) in Japan. We examined the major pollinator groups visiting 34 plant species and explored the relationship between the flower visitation frequency of each pollinator group and floral traits. Overall, flies were the most dominant pollinators (42%), followed by bees and wasps (33%). Cluster analysis indicated that fly-dominated plants were the most abundant among 14 of the 34 target plant species. However, 85% of the hoverflies, the most abundant flies, and 82% of the bees were non-wetland-dependent species, suggesting that these terrestrial species likely originated from the surrounding environment. Therefore, pollinators from the surrounding environment would be important in small natural wetlands. Flies tend to visit open and white/yellow flowers, whereas bees tended to visit tube-shaped flowers, as in forest and grassland ecosystems. The dominance of flies in small wetlands would be due to the dominance of flowers preferred by flies (e.g., yellow/white flowers) rather than because of their larval habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Watazu
- Development Technology Course, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8529, Japan
| | - Masayoshi K Hiraiwa
- Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, 3327-204 Nakamachi, Nara, 631-8505, Japan
| | - Masahito Inoue
- The Shimane Nature Museum of Mt. Sanbe, 1121-8 Tane, Sanbe-cho, Ohda, Shimane, 694-0003, Japan
| | - Hideo Mishima
- The Shimane Nature Museum of Mt. Sanbe, 1121-8 Tane, Sanbe-cho, Ohda, Shimane, 694-0003, Japan
| | - Atushi Ushimaru
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada, Kobe, 657- 8501, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Hosaka
- Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 7398529, Japan.
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5
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Huang M, Meng JY, Zhou L, Yu C, Zhang CY. Expression and function of opsin genes associated with phototaxis in Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:4490-4500. [PMID: 37418556 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zeugodacus cucuribitae is a major agricultural pest that causes significant damage to varieties of plants. Vision plays a critical role in phototactic behavior of herbivorous insects. However, the effect of opsin on the phototactic behavior in Z. cucuribitae remains unknown. The aim of this research is to explore the key opsin genes that associate with phototaxis behavior of Z. cucurbitae. RESULTS Five opsin genes were identified and their expression patterns were analyzed. The relative expression levels of ZcRh1, ZcRh4 and ZcRh6 were highest in 4-day-old larvae, ZcRh2 and ZcRh3 were highest in 3rd-instar larvae and 5-day-old pupae, respectively. Furthermore, five opsin genes had the highest expression levels in compound eyes, followed by the antennae and head, whereas the lower occurred in other tissues. The expression of the long-wavelength-sensitive (LW) opsins first decreased and then increased under green light exposure. In contrast, the expression of ultraviolet-sensitive (UV) opsins first increased and then decreased with the duration of UV exposure. Silencing of LW opsin (dsZcRh1, dsZcRh2, and dsZcRh6) and UV opsin (dsZcRh3 and dsZcRh4) reduced the phototactic efficiency of Z. cucurbitae to green light by 52.27%, 60.72%, and 67.89%, and to UV light by 68.59% and 61.73%, respectively. CONCLUSION The results indicate that RNAi inhibited the expression of opsin, thereby inhibiting the phototaxis of Z. cucurbitae. This result provides theoretical support for the physical control of Z. cucurbitae and lays the foundation for further exploration of the mechanism of insect phototaxis. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Huang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jian-Yu Meng
- Guizhou Tobacco Science Research Institute, Guiyang, China
| | - Lv Zhou
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chun Yu
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chang-Yu Zhang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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León‐Osper M, Narbona E. Unravelling the mystery of red flowers in the Mediterranean Basin: How to be conspicuous in a place dominated by hymenopteran pollinators. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa León‐Osper
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla España
| | - Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla España
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Attracted to feed, not to be fed upon – on the biology of Toxomerus basalis (Walker, 1836), the kleptoparasitic ‘sundew flower fly’ (Diptera: Syrphidae). JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The complete life history of the kleptoparasitic ‘sundew flower fly’, Toxomerus basalis, is presented and illustrated. Adults of this species are photographed alive for the first time, including video recordings of larval and adult behaviour. Adult flies of both sexes visit Drosera (sundews) and show territorial behaviour around the plants, avoiding the dangerous sticky traps and demonstrating recognition of their larval host plant. Females lay eggs directly on non-sticky parts of the Drosera host plants, such as on the lower surface of the leaves and flower stalks, but apparently also on other plants growing in close proximity with the sundews.
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Streets A, England H, Marshall J. Colour vision in stomatopod crustaceans: more questions than answers. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274564. [PMID: 35224643 PMCID: PMC9001920 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Stomatopod crustaceans, or mantis shrimps, are known for their extensive range of spectral sensitivities but relatively poor spectral discrimination. Instead of the colour-opponent mechanism of other colour vision systems, the 12 narrow-band colour channels they possess may underlie a different method of colour processing. We investigated one hypothesis, in which the photoreceptors are proposed to act as individual wave-band detectors, interpreting colour as a parallel pattern of photoreceptor activation, rather than a ratiometric comparison of individual signals. This different form of colour detection has been used to explain previous behavioural tests in which low saturation blue was not discriminated from grey, potentially because of similar activation patterns. Results here, however, indicate that the stomatopod, Haptosquilla trispinosa was able to easily distinguish several colours, including blue of both high and low saturation, from greys. The animals did show a decrease in performance over time in an artificially lit environment, indicating plasticity in colour discrimination ability. This rapid plasticity, most likely the result of a change in opsin (visual pigment) expression, has now been noted in several animal lineages (both invertebrate and vertebrate) and is a factor we suggest needing care and potential re-examination in any colour-based behavioural tests. As for stomatopods, it remains unclear why they achieve poor colour discrimination using the most comprehensive set of spectral sensitivities in the animal kingdom and also what form of colour processing they may utilise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Streets
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Hayley England
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia
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van der Kooi CJ, Kelber A. Achromatic Cues Are Important for Flower Visibility to Hawkmoths and Other Insects. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.819436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies on animal colour vision typically focus on the chromatic aspect of colour, which is related to the spectral distribution, and disregard the achromatic aspect, which is related to the intensity (“brightness”) of a stimulus. Although the chromatic component of vision is often most reliable for object recognition because it is fairly context independent, the achromatic component may provide a reliable signal under specific conditions, for example at night when light intensity is low. Here we make a case for the importance of achromatic cues in plant-pollinator signalling, based on experimental data on naïve Deilephila elpenor and Macroglossum stellatarum hawkmoths, optical modelling and synthesising published experiments on bees, flies, butterflies and moths. Our experiments show that in ecologically relevant light levels hawkmoths express a strong preference for brighter stimuli. Published experiments suggest that for flower-visiting bees, butterflies, moths and flies, achromatic cues may be more important for object detection than often considered. Our optical modelling enabled disentangling the contribution of pigments and scattering structures to the flower’s achromatic contrast, and illustrates how flower anatomy and background are important mediating factors. We discuss our findings in the context of the often-assumed dichotomy between detection and discrimination, chromatic versus achromatic vision, and the evolution of floral visual signals.
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10
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Garcia JE, Hannah L, Shrestha M, Burd M, Dyer AG. Fly pollination drives convergence of flower coloration. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:52-61. [PMID: 34460949 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pollinator interactions provide a natural experiment in signal evolution. Flowers are known to have evolved colour signals that maximise their ease of detection by the visual systems of important pollinators such as bees. Whilst most angiosperms are bee pollinated, our understanding on how the second largest group of pollinating insects, flies, may influence flower colour evolution is limited to the use of categorical models of colour discrimination that do not reflect the small colour differences commonly observed between and within flower species. Here we show by comparing flower signals that occur in different environments including total absence of bees, a mixture of bee and fly pollination within one plant family (Orchidaceae) from a single community, and typical flowers from a broad taxonomic sampling of the same geographic region, that perceptually different colours, empirically measured, do evolve in response to different types of insect pollinators. We show evidence of both convergence among fly-pollinated floral colours but also of divergence and displacement of colour signals in the absence of bee pollinators. Our findings give an insight into how both ecological and agricultural systems may be affected by changes in pollinator distributions around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., 3000, Australia
| | - Lea Hannah
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2750, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany
- School of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., 3168, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., 3168, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., 3000, Australia
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Dieng H, Satho T, Mohd Radzi NHSB, Abang F, A. Kassim NF, Zuharah WF, Hashim NA, Morales Vargas RE, Morales NP. Flower Mimics Roll Out Multicolored Carpets to Lure and Kill the House Fly. INSECTS 2021; 12:1097. [PMID: 34940185 PMCID: PMC8706000 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121097] [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: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Flowers and their spatial clustering are important parameters that mediate the foraging behavior and visitation rate of pollinating insects. Visual stimuli are crucial for triggering behavioral changes in the house fly, Musca domestica, which regularly visits plants for feeding and reproduction. The success of bait technology, which is the principal means of combatting flies, is adversely affected by reduced attractiveness and ineffective application techniques. Despite evidence that house flies have color vision capacity, respond to flowers, and exhibit color and pattern preference, the potential of artificial flowers as attractive factors has not been explored. The present study was performed to investigate whether artificial floral designs can lure and kill house flies. Starved wild house flies were presented with equal opportunities to acquire sugar meals, to which boric acid had been added as a toxin, from one flower arrangement (blue-dominated design, BDD; yellow-dominated design, YDD; or pink-dominated design, PDD), and a non-toxic white design (WDD). We also allowed house flies to forage within an enclosure containing two non-toxic floral designs (WDDs). The differences in mortality between the two environments with and without toxicant were examined. The survival rate of Musca domestica was extremely high when WDDs containing non-toxic sugar sources were the only feeding sites available. When given an option to forage in an environment containing a BDD and a WDD, house flies showed a high mortality rate (76%) compared to their counterparts maintained in the WDD environment (2%). When kept in an enclosure containing one YDD and a WDD, flies showed a mortality rate of 88%; however, no mortality occurred among flies confined to a compound with a WDD pair. When provided an even chance of foraging in an enclosure containing a mixed pair of floral arrangements (PDD and WDD) and another with two WDDs, flies showed a higher mortality rate (78%) in the first environment. However, the maximum survival rate (100%) was seen in the WDD environment. Exposure to YDD tended to result in a greater mortality rate than with the two other floral designs. Mortality gradually increased with time among flies exposed to tested artificial floral designs. The results presented here clearly indicated that artificial flower arrangements with a toxic sugar reward were strikingly attractive for house flies when their preferred color (white) was present. These observations offer novel possibilities for future development of flower mimic-based house fly control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamady Dieng
- Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU), George Town KY1-1106, Cayman Islands
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia
| | - Tomomitsu Satho
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Nanakuma Jonan-Ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan;
| | | | - Fatimah Abang
- Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia; (N.H.S.B.M.R.); (F.A.)
| | - Nur Faeza A. Kassim
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia; (N.F.A.K.); (W.F.Z.)
| | - Wan Fatma Zuharah
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia; (N.F.A.K.); (W.F.Z.)
| | - Nur Aida Hashim
- School of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu 21300, Malaysia;
| | | | - Noppawan P. Morales
- Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand;
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12
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Lunau K, Scaccabarozzi D, Willing L, Dixon K. A bee's eye view of remarkable floral colour patterns in the south-west Australian biodiversity hotspot revealed by false colour photography. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 128:821-824. [PMID: 34216211 PMCID: PMC8577209 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Colour pattern is a key cue of bee attraction selectively driving the appeal of pollinators. It comprises the main colour of the flower with extra fine patterns, indicating a reward focal point such as nectar, nectaries, pollen, stamens and floral guides. Such advertising of floral traits guides visitation by the insects, ensuring precision in pollen gathering and deposition. The study, focused in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region, aimed to spot bee colour patterns that are usual and unusual, missing, accomplished by mimicry of pollen and anthers, and overlapping between mimic-model species in floral mimicry cases. METHODS Floral colour patterns were examined by false colour photography in 55 flower species of multiple highly diverse natural plant communities in south-west Australia. False colour photography is a method to transform a UV photograph and a colour photograph into a false colour photograph based on the trichromatic vision of bees. This method is particularly effective for rapid screening of large numbers of flowers for the presence of fine-scale bee-sensitive structures and surface roughness that are not detectable using standard spectrophotometry. KEY RESULTS Bee- and bird-pollinated flowers showed the expected but also some remarkable and unusual previously undetected floral colour pattern syndromes. Typical colour patterns include cases of pollen and flower mimicry and UV-absorbing targets. Among the atypical floral colour patterns are unusual white and UV-reflecting flowers of bee-pollinated plants, bicoloured floral guides, consistently occurring in Fabaceae spp., and flowers displaying a selective attractiveness to birds only. In the orchid genera (Diuris and Thelymitra) that employ floral mimicry of model species, we revealed a surprising mimicry phenomenon of anthers mimicked in turn by model species. CONCLUSION The study demonstrates the applicability of 'bee view' colour imaging for deciphering pollinator cues in a biodiverse flora with potential to be applied to other eco regions. The technique provides an exciting opportunity for indexing floral traits on a biome scale to establish pollination drivers of ecological and evolutionary relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Lunau
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniela Scaccabarozzi
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Larissa Willing
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kingsley Dixon
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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13
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Narbona E, del Valle JC, Arista M, Buide ML, Ortiz PL. Major Flower Pigments Originate Different Colour Signals to Pollinators. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.743850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Flower colour is mainly due to the presence and type of pigments. Pollinator preferences impose selection on flower colour that ultimately acts on flower pigments. Knowing how pollinators perceive flowers with different pigments becomes crucial for a comprehensive understanding of plant-pollinator communication and flower colour evolution. Based on colour space models, we studied whether main groups of pollinators, specifically hymenopterans, dipterans, lepidopterans and birds, differentially perceive flower colours generated by major pigment groups. We obtain reflectance data and conspicuousness to pollinators of flowers containing one of the pigment groups more frequent in flowers: chlorophylls, carotenoids and flavonoids. Flavonoids were subsequently classified in UV-absorbing flavonoids, aurones-chalcones and the anthocyanins cyanidin, pelargonidin, delphinidin, and malvidin derivatives. We found that flower colour loci of chlorophylls, carotenoids, UV-absorbing flavonoids, aurones-chalcones, and anthocyanins occupied different regions of the colour space models of these pollinators. The four groups of anthocyanins produced a unique cluster of colour loci. Interestingly, differences in colour conspicuousness among the pigment groups were almost similar in the bee, fly, butterfly, and bird visual space models. Aurones-chalcones showed the highest chromatic contrast values, carotenoids displayed intermediate values, and chlorophylls, UV-absorbing flavonoids and anthocyanins presented the lowest values. In the visual model of bees, flowers with UV-absorbing flavonoids (i.e., white flowers) generated the highest achromatic contrasts. Ours findings suggest that in spite of the almost omnipresence of floral anthocyanins in angiosperms, carotenoids and aurones-chalcones generates higher colour conspicuousness for main functional groups of pollinators.
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Trunschke J, Lunau K, Pyke GH, Ren ZX, Wang H. Flower Color Evolution and the Evidence of Pollinator-Mediated Selection. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:617851. [PMID: 34381464 PMCID: PMC8350172 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.617851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of floral traits in animal-pollinated plants involves the interaction between flowers as signal senders and pollinators as signal receivers. Flower colors are very diverse, effect pollinator attraction and flower foraging behavior, and are hypothesized to be shaped through pollinator-mediated selection. However, most of our current understanding of flower color evolution arises from variation between discrete color morphs and completed color shifts accompanying pollinator shifts, while evidence for pollinator-mediated selection on continuous variation in flower colors within populations is still scarce. In this review, we summarize experiments quantifying selection on continuous flower color variation in natural plant populations in the context of pollinator interactions. We found that evidence for significant pollinator-mediated selection is surprisingly limited among existing studies. We propose several possible explanations related to the complexity in the interaction between the colors of flowers and the sensory and cognitive abilities of pollinators as well as pollinator behavioral responses, on the one hand, and the distribution of variation in color phenotypes and fitness, on the other hand. We emphasize currently persisting weaknesses in experimental procedures, and provide some suggestions for how to improve methodology. In conclusion, we encourage future research to bring together plant and animal scientists to jointly forward our understanding of the mechanisms and circumstances of pollinator-mediated selection on flower color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Trunschke
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Graham H. Pyke
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Zong-Xin Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Hong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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15
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Kandori I, Fukada S, Kurosaki T, Yokoi T, Papaj DR. Comparison of color‐learning rates among eight species of three insect orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera). Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ikuo Kandori
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Kindai University Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukada
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Kindai University Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kurosaki
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Kindai University Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yokoi
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Tsukuba Japan
| | - Daniel R. Papaj
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
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16
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Martel C, Rakosy D, Dötterl S, Johnson SD, Ayasse M, Paulus HF, Nilsson LA, Mejlon H, Jersáková J. Specialization for Tachinid Fly Pollination in the Phenologically Divergent Varieties of the Orchid Neotinea ustulata. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.659176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increased focus on elucidating the various reproductive strategies employed by orchids, we still have only a rather limited understanding of deceptive pollination systems that are not bee- or wasp-mediated. In Europe, the orchid Neotinea ustulata has been known to consist of two phenologically divergent varieties, neither of which provide rewards to its pollinators. However, detailed studies of their reproductive biology have been lacking. Our study aimed to characterize and understand the floral traits (i.e., morphology, color, and scent chemistry) and reproductive biology of N. ustulata. We found that the two varieties differ in all their floral traits; furthermore, while Neotinea ustulata var. ustulata appears to be pollinated by both bees (e.g., Anthophora, Bombus) and flies (e.g., Dilophus, Tachina), var. aestivalis is pollinated almost entirely by flies (i.e., Nowickia, Tachina). Tachinids were also found to be much more effective than bees in removing pollinaria, and we show experimentally that they use the characteristic dark inflorescence top as a cue for approaching inflorescences. Our results thus suggest that while both N. ustulata varieties rely on tachinids for pollination, they differ in their degree of specialization. Further studies are, however, needed to fully understand the reproductive strategy of N. ustulata varieties.
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17
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Ohashi K, Jürgens A, Thomson JD. Trade-off mitigation: a conceptual framework for understanding floral adaptation in multispecies interactions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2258-2280. [PMID: 34096158 PMCID: PMC8518848 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12754] [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: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Explanations of floral adaptation to diverse pollinator faunas have often invoked visitor‐mediated trade‐offs in which no intermediate, generalized floral phenotype is optimal for pollination success, i.e. fitness valleys are created. In such cases, plant species are expected to specialize on particular groups of flower visitors. Contrary to this expectation, it is commonly observed that flowers interact with various groups of visitors, while at the same time maintaining distinct phenotypes among ecotypes, subspecies, or congeners. This apparent paradox may be due to a gap in our understanding of how visitor‐mediated trade‐offs could affect floral adaptation. Here we provide a conceptual framework for analysing visitor‐mediated trade‐offs with the hope of stimulating empirical and theoretical studies to fill this gap. We propose two types of visitor‐mediated trade‐offs to address negative correlations among fitness contributions of different visitors: visitor‐mediated phenotypic trade‐offs (phenotypic trade‐offs) and visitor‐mediated opportunity trade‐offs (opportunity trade‐offs). Phenotypic trade‐offs occur when different groups of visitors impose conflicting selection pressures on a floral trait. By contrast, opportunity trade‐offs emerge only when some visitors’ actions (e.g. pollen collection) remove opportunities for fitness contribution by more beneficial visitors. Previous studies have observed disruptive selection due to phenotypic trade‐offs less often than expected. In addition to existing explanations, we propose that some flowers have achieved ‘adaptive generalization’ by evolving features to avoid or eliminate the fitness valleys that phenotypic trade‐offs tend to produce. The literature suggests a variety of pathways to such ‘trade‐off mitigation’. Trade‐off mitigation may also evolve as an adaptation to opportunity trade‐offs. We argue that active exclusion, or floral specialization, can be viewed as a trade‐off mitigation, occurring only when flowers cannot otherwise avoid strong opportunity trade‐offs. These considerations suggest that an evolutionary strategy for trade‐off mitigation is achieved often by acquiring novel combinations of traits. Thus, phenotypic diversification of flowers through convergent evolution of certain trait combinations may have been enhanced not only through adaptive specialization for particular visitors, but also through adaptive generalization for particular visitor communities. Explorations of how visitor‐mediated trade‐offs explain the recurrent patterns of floral phenotypes may help reconcile the long‐lasting controversy on the validity of pollination syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuharu Ohashi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan.,Department of Biology, Chemical Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Jürgens
- Department of Biology, Chemical Plant Ecology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - James D Thomson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
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18
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Tunes P, Camargo MGG, Guimarães E. Floral UV Features of Plant Species From a Neotropical Savanna. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:618028. [PMID: 34025689 PMCID: PMC8137824 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.618028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the wide interest in flower colours, only after the end of the nineteenth-century studies started to comprise floral UV reflection, which is invisible to humans but visible to the major groups of pollinators. Many flowers and inflorescences display colour patterns, an important signal for pollinators, promoted by the presence of at least two different colours within flowers or inflorescences, including colours in the UV waveband. For Neotropical savanna plant species, we characterised floral UV features using UV-photography and reflectance measurements. We tested (i) whether floral UV features were constrained by their shared ancestry, (ii) whether floral UV features were associated with pollinators, and (iii) whether floral UV features were associated with floral traits mediating these interactions, including floral resource, type of attraction unit and presence/absence of non-UV colour patterns. Of 80 plant species, ca. 70% were UV-patternless, most of them UV-absorbing. Approximately 30% presented one of three types of UV-patterns: bullseye, contrasting corolla markings oriented toward floral resources or contrasting reproductive structures, which were all considered as floral guides. Floral UV features were phylogenetically constrained and were associated with pollinators, floral resources and attraction unit, but not with non-UV colour patterns. UV-patternless flowers were associated with most of the pollination systems, while UV-patterned flowers were mainly associated with bee-pollination. UV-absorbing flowers comprised the only category with hawkmoth- and butterfly-pollinated flowers, and a high percentage of hummingbird-pollinated species. Nocturnal pollinated species were also commonly UV-absorbing, except for one UV-reflecting bat-pollinated species and one beetle-pollinated species with UV-reflecting stigmas. All types of floral UV features were associated with nectar; however, flowers with contrasting reproductive structures were mainly associated with pollen. There was an association between UV-absorbing species and the presence of inflorescences and intermediate attraction units. Our results evince that phylogenetic relatedness can constraint floral UV features' diversification, but combinations of evolutionary and ecological processes may be expected in this scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Tunes
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Botany), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | - Elza Guimarães
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
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19
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Noel G, Bonnet J, Everaerts S, Danel A, Calderan A, de Liedekerke A, de Montpellier d'Annevoie C, Francis F, Serteyn L. Distribution of wild bee (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae) communities within farms undergoing ecological transition. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e60665. [PMID: 33519264 PMCID: PMC7819954 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e60665] [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: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Havelange (Belgium), two farms are experiencing an ecological transition. We aimed to evaluate the impact of their agricultural activities on insect pollinator communities. This article depicts the situation at the very early stage of the farm transition. This study supports the fact that the maintenance of farm-level natural habitats provides environmental benefits, such as the conservation of two important pollinator communities: wild bees and hoverflies. New information Over two years (2018-2019), by using nets and coloured pan-traps, we collected 6301 bee and hoverfly specimens amongst contrasting habitats within two farmsteads undergoing ecological transition in Havelange (Belgium). We reported 101 bee species and morphospecies from 15 genera within six families and 31 hoverfly species and morphospecies from 18 genera. This list reinforces the national pollinator database by providing new distribution data for extinction-threatened species, such as Andrenaschencki Morawitz 1866, Bombuscampestris (Panzer 1801), Euceralongicornis (L.) and Halictusmaculatus Smith 1848 or for data deficient species, such as A.semilaevis Pérez 1903, A.fulvata (Müller 1766), A.trimmerana (Kirby 1802) and Hylaeusbrevicornis Nylander 1852.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Noel
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - Julie Bonnet
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - Sylvain Everaerts
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - Anouk Danel
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - Alix Calderan
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - Alexis de Liedekerke
- Ferme de Froidefontaine, Havelange, Belgium Ferme de Froidefontaine Havelange Belgium
| | - Clotilde de Montpellier d'Annevoie
- Department of Geography, Institute Transitions, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium Department of Geography, Institute Transitions, University of Namur Namur Belgium.,Ferme d'Emeville, Havelange, Belgium Ferme d'Emeville Havelange Belgium
| | - Frédéric Francis
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - Laurent Serteyn
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA, Gembloux, Belgium Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
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20
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Ellis AG, Anderson B, Kemp JE. Geographic Mosaics of Fly Pollinators With Divergent Color Preferences Drive Landscape-Scale Structuring of Flower Color in Daisy Communities. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:617761. [PMID: 33597961 PMCID: PMC7882612 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.617761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The striking variation in flower color across and within Angiosperm species is often attributed to divergent selection resulting from geographic mosaics of pollinators with different color preferences. Despite the importance of pollinator mosaics in driving floral divergence, the distributions of pollinators and their color preferences are seldom quantified. The extensive mass-flowering displays of annual daisy species in Namaqualand, South Africa, are characterized by striking color convergence within communities, but also color turnover within species and genera across large geographic scales. We aimed to determine whether shifts between orange and white-flowered daisy communities are driven by the innate color preferences of different pollinators or by soil color, which can potentially affect the detectability of different colored flowers. Different bee-fly pollinators dominated in both community types so that largely non-overlapping pollinator distributions were strongly associated with different flower colors. Visual modeling demonstrated that orange and white-flowered species are distinguishable in fly vision, and choice experiments demonstrated strongly divergent color preferences. We found that the dominant pollinator in orange communities has a strong spontaneous preference for orange flowers, which was not altered by conditioning. Similarly, the dominant pollinator in white communities exhibited an innate preference for white flowers. Although detectability of white flowers varied across soil types, background contrast did not alter color preferences. These findings demonstrate that landscape-level flower color turnover across Namaqua daisy communities is likely shaped by a strong qualitative geographic mosaic of bee-fly pollinators with divergent color preferences. This is an unexpected result given the classically generalist pollination phenotype of daisies. However, because of the dominance of single fly pollinator species within communities, and the virtual absence of bees as pollinators, we suggest that Namaqua daisies function as pollination specialists despite their generalist phenotypes, thus facilitating differentiation of flower color by pollinator shifts across the fly pollinator mosaic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan G. Ellis
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
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21
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van der Kooi CJ, Stavenga DG, Arikawa K, Belušič G, Kelber A. Evolution of Insect Color Vision: From Spectral Sensitivity to Visual Ecology. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 66:435-461. [PMID: 32966103 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-061720-071644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Color vision is widespread among insects but varies among species, depending on the spectral sensitivities and interplay of the participating photoreceptors. The spectral sensitivity of a photoreceptor is principally determined by the absorption spectrum of the expressed visual pigment, but it can be modified by various optical and electrophysiological factors. For example, screening and filtering pigments, rhabdom waveguide properties, retinal structure, and neural processing all influence the perceived color signal. We review the diversity in compound eye structure, visual pigments, photoreceptor physiology, and visual ecology of insects. Based on an overview of the current information about the spectral sensitivities of insect photoreceptors, covering 221 species in 13 insect orders, we discuss the evolution of color vision and highlight present knowledge gaps and promising future research directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper J van der Kooi
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, 9700 AK Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Doekele G Stavenga
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, 9700 AK Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Kentaro Arikawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan;
| | - Gregor Belušič
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, 22362 Lund, Sweden;
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22
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Clem CS, Sparbanie TM, Luro AB, Harmon-Threatt AN. Can anthophilous hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) discriminate neonicotinoid insecticides in sucrose solution? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234820. [PMID: 32559247 PMCID: PMC7304583 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how neonicotinoid insecticides affect non-target arthropods, especially pollinators, is an area of high priority and popular debate. Few studies have considered how pollinators interact and detect neonicotinoids, and almost none have examined for these effects in anthophilous Diptera such as hover flies (Syrphidae). We investigated behavioral responses of two species of hover flies, Eristalis arbustorum L. (Eristalinae) and Toxomerus marginatus Say (Syrphinae), when given a choice between artificial flowers with uncontaminated sucrose solution and neonicotinoid-contaminated (clothianidin) sucrose solution at field-realistic levels 2.5 ppb (average) and 150 ppb (high). We examined for 1) evidence that wild-caught flies could detect the insecticide gustatorily by analyzing amount of time spent feeding on floral treatments, and 2) whether flies could discriminate floral treatments visually by comparing visitation rates, spectral reflectance differences, and hover fly photoreceptor sensitivities. We did not find evidence that either species fed more or less on either of the treatment solutions. Furthermore, T. marginatus did not appear to visit one of the flower choices over the other. Eristalis arbustorum, however, visited uncontaminated flowers more often than contaminated flowers. Spectral differences between the flower treatments overlap with Eristalis photoreceptor sensitivities, opening the possibility that E. arbustorum could discriminate sucrose-clothianidin solution visually. The relevance of our findings in field settings are uncertain but they do highlight the importance of visual cues in lab-based choice experiments involving insecticides. We strongly encourage further research in this area and the consideration of both behavioral responses and sensory mechanisms when determining insecticidal impacts on beneficial arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Scott Clem
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Taylor M. Sparbanie
- Environmental & Plant Biology Department, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Alec B. Luro
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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23
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Abstract
Nectar is the most common floral reward for flower-visiting flies, bees, bats and birds. Many flowers hide nectar in the floral tube and preclude sensing of nectar by flower-visitors from a distance. Even in those flowers that offer easily accessible nectar, the nectaries are mostly inconspicuous to the human eye and the amount of nectar is sparse. It is widely accepted that many flowers display nectar guides in order to direct flower-visitors towards the nectar. Using false colour photography, covering ultraviolet, blue and green ranges of wavelength, revealed a yet unknown conspicuousness of nectar, nectaries and false nectaries for bees due to concordant reflection in the ultraviolet range of wavelength. Nectars, many nectaries and false nectaries have glossy surfaces and reflect all incident light including UV-light. In most cases, this is not particularly conspicuous to the human eye, but highly visible for UV-sensitive insects, due to the fact that the glossy areas are often positioned in UV-absorbing central flower parts and thus produce a strong UV-signal. The optical contrast produced by the glossiness of small smooth areas in close proximity to nectar holders represents a widespread yet overlooked floral cue that nectarivorous flower-visitors might use to locate the floral nectar.
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24
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An L, Yang X, Lunau K, Fan F, Li M, Wei G. High innate preference of black substrate in the chive gnat, Bradysia odoriphaga (Diptera: Sciaridae). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210379. [PMID: 31071092 PMCID: PMC6508717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The chive gnat, Bradysia odoriphaga, is a notorious pest of Allium species in China. Colour trapping is an established method for monitoring and control of Bradysia species. In order to clarify the effect of colour preference of B. odoriphaga for the perched substrate, multiple-choice tests were used to assess the response of the chive gnat to different colour hues and brightness levels under different intensities of white illumination and two spectrally different illuminations. Given the choice among four colours differing in hue under different intensities of white illumination and two spectrally different illuminations, chive gnat adults significant preferred the black substrate, a lesser preference to brown and green substrates, and the least preference to orange substrate irrespective of illumination. Given the choice among four levels of brightness under the same illumination conditions as those in the previous experiment (different intensities of white illumination and two spectrally different illuminations), chive gnats preferred black substrate over dark grey, light grey and white substrates. Meanwhile, both virgin and mated adults significantly preferred black over other colour hues and brightness. Based on our results, we conclude that the chive gnat adults significantly prefer black substrates irrespective of colour hues and brightness. This behaviour does not alter with ambient light condition changes. No difference observed between choices of female and male adults. Our results provide new insight for understanding the colour choice behaviour in chive gnat and pave a way to improve monitoring and control of chive gnats and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina An
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaofan Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Biology Department, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Fan Fan
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Mengyao Li
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Guoshu Wei
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
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