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Heuel KC, Haßlberger TA, Ayasse M, Burger H. Floral Trait Preferences of Three Common wild Bee Species. INSECTS 2024; 15:427. [PMID: 38921142 PMCID: PMC11203783 DOI: 10.3390/insects15060427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The interaction between bees and flowering plants is mediated by floral cues that enable bees to find foraging plants. We tested floral cue preferences among three common wild bee species: Lasioglossum villosulum, Osmia bicornis, and Bombus terrestris. Preferences are well studied in eusocial bees but almost unknown in solitary or non-eusocial generalist bee species. Using standardized artificial flowers altered in single cues, we tested preferences for color hue, achromatic contrast, scent complexity, corolla size, and flower depth. We found common attractive cues among all tested bees. Intensively colored flowers and large floral displays were highly attractive. No preferences were observed in scent complexity experiments, and the number of volatiles did not influence the behavior of bees. Differing preferences were found for color hue. The specific behaviors were probably influenced by foraging experience and depended on the flower choice preferences of the tested bee species. In experiments testing different flower depths of reward presentation, the bees chose flat flowers that afforded low energy costs. The results reveal that generalist wild bee species other than well-studied honeybees and bumblebees show strong preferences for distinct floral cues to find potential host plants. The diverse preferences of wild bees ensure the pollination of various flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim C. Heuel
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89077 Ulm, Germany (M.A.); (H.B.)
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2
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Burger H, Joos N, Ayasse M. Floral Cues of Non-host Plants Attract Oligolectic Chelostoma rapunculi Bees. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.682960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligolectic bees are highly dependent on the availability of the host plants to which they are specialized. Nevertheless, females of Chelostoma rapunculi have recently been monitored occasionally to visit Malva moschata and Geranium sanguineum flowers, in addition to their well-known Campanula spp. hosts. The questions therefore arise which floral cues promote visits to non-host plants. As host-specific floral cues are key attractants for oligolectic bees, we have studied the attractiveness of olfactory and visual cues of the established host Campanula trachelium in comparison to the non-host plants G. sanguineum and M. moschata in behavioral experiments. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses of the floral scent and spectral measurements of floral colors were used to compare and contrast host and non-host plants. The behavioral experiments showed that foraging-naïve bees, in particular, were attracted by olfactory cues of the non-host plants, and that they did not favor the Campanula host scent in choice experiments. Many electrophysiologically active floral volatiles were present in common in the studied plants, although each species produced an individual scent profile. Spiroacetals, the key components that enable C. rapunculi to recognize Campanula hosts, were detected in trace amounts in Geranium but could not be proved to occur in Malva. The visual floral cues of all species were particularly attractive for foraging-experienced bees. The high attractiveness of G. sanguineum and M. moschata flowers to C. rapunculi bees and the floral traits that are similar to the Campanula host plants can be a first step to the beginning of a host expansion or change which, however, rarely occurs in oligolectic bees.
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3
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Milet-Pinheiro P, Santos PSC, Prieto-Benítez S, Ayasse M, Dötterl S. Differential Evolutionary History in Visual and Olfactory Floral Cues of the Bee-Pollinated Genus Campanula (Campanulaceae). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:1356. [PMID: 34371561 PMCID: PMC8309401 DOI: 10.3390/plants10071356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Visual and olfactory floral signals play key roles in plant-pollinator interactions. In recent decades, studies investigating the evolution of either of these signals have increased considerably. However, there are large gaps in our understanding of whether or not these two cue modalities evolve in a concerted manner. Here, we characterized the visual (i.e., color) and olfactory (scent) floral cues in bee-pollinated Campanula species by spectrophotometric and chemical methods, respectively, with the aim of tracing their evolutionary paths. We found a species-specific pattern in color reflectance and scent chemistry. Multivariate phylogenetic statistics revealed no influence of phylogeny on floral color and scent bouquet. However, univariate phylogenetic statistics revealed a phylogenetic signal in some of the constituents of the scent bouquet. Our results suggest unequal evolutionary pathways of visual and olfactory floral cues in the genus Campanula. While the lack of phylogenetic signal on both color and scent bouquet points to external agents (e.g., pollinators, herbivores) as evolutionary drivers, the presence of phylogenetic signal in at least some floral scent constituents point to an influence of phylogeny on trait evolution. We discuss why external agents and phylogeny differently shape the evolutionary paths in floral color and scent of closely related angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (P.S.C.S.); (M.A.)
| | - Pablo Sandro Carvalho Santos
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (P.S.C.S.); (M.A.)
| | - Samuel Prieto-Benítez
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, s/n, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain;
- Ecotoxicology of Air Pollution Group, Environmental Department, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (P.S.C.S.); (M.A.)
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
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Sladecek FXJ, Dötterl S, Schäffler I, Segar ST, Konvicka M. Succession of Dung-Inhabiting Beetles and Flies Reflects the Succession of Dung-Emitted Volatile Compounds. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:433-443. [PMID: 33830431 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01266-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chemical cues, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are often essential for insects to locate food. Relative to the volume of studies on the role of VOCs in insect-plant relationships, the role of VOCs emitted by dung and carrion in mediating the behavior of insect decomposers is understudied. Such relationships may provide a mechanistic understanding of the temporal axis of community assembly processes in decomposing insect communities. We focused on the temporal succession of volatiles released by cow dung pats and the potential influence on dung-inhabiting insects. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry we identified and quantified VOCs released from dung 1-h, and 1, 2 3, 5, and 7 d-old. We then related changes in VOCs to successional patterns of dung-inhabiting beetles and flies. We detected 54 VOCs which could be assigned to two successional groups, with chemical turnover in dung changing around day 2. The early successional group consisted primarily of aliphatic alcohols and phenols, and the late one of aliphatic esters, nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing compounds. Flies were predominately associated with the early successional group, mainly with 1-butanol. Beetles were associated predominately with the late-successional group, mainly with dimethyl trisulfide. This association between insect and chemical successional patterns supports the idea that habitat filtering drives the community assembly of dung-inhabiting insects on an aging resource. Moreover, the affinity of both insect groups to specific VOC groups provides a mechanistic explanation for the predictability of successional patterns found in dung-inhabiting insect communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frantisek Xaver Jiri Sladecek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Biosciences, Plant Ecology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Irmgard Schäffler
- Department of Biosciences, Plant Ecology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Martin Konvicka
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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5
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Luo H, Xiao H, Liang Y, Liu N, Turner C, Tan S, Chen X, Xiong D, Yang B. Batesian mimicry in the nonrewarding saprophytic orchid Danxiaorchis yangii. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2524-2534. [PMID: 33767819 PMCID: PMC7981215 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Batesian mimicry, a type of deceptive pollination, is a complicated strategy used by nonrewarding plants to attract pollinators, but some hypotheses concerning this have not been systematically verified. In order to show in detail a case of Batesian mimicry on saprophytic orchid Danxiaorchis yangii, the ecological relationship between Danxiaorchis yangii, Lysimachia alfredi and Dufourea spp. was explored. Lysimachia alfredi could provide a reward to Dufourea sp., whereas Danxiaorchis yangii not. The floral morphology and geographical distribution of these two plants were highly overlapping, and the fruit set rate of Danxiaorchis yangii was significantly positively correlated with the number of nearby L. alfredi individuals. In a glass cylinder experiment, Danxiaorchis yangii and L. alfredi attracted Dufourea spp. through visual signals, but the insect could not distinguish between flowers of the two plants before landing on flowers. The ultraviolet reflection spectra of flowers between the two plant species were highly similar. In the hexagonal color models constructed according to the visual characteristics of bees, the flower color signals of these two plant species highly overlap, indicating that the visual signals of the flowers of the two plants to the pollinator were greatly similar. All of these results provided evidence that Danxiaorchis yangii simulated the visual signals of L. alfredi through Batesian mimicry, thereby deceptively attracting Dufourea spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huolin Luo
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Hanwen Xiao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Yuelong Liang
- Jiangxi Jiulianshan National Nature ReserveGanzhouChina
| | - Nannan Liu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Cassidy Turner
- College of Health SolutionsArizona State UniversityScottsdaleAZUSA
| | - Shaolin Tan
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Xinghui Chen
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Dongjin Xiong
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Boyun Yang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant ResourcesSchool of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
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6
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Milet-Pinheiro P, Domingos-Melo A, Olivera JB, Albuquerque NSL, Costa ACG, Albuquerque-Lima S, Silva MFR, Navarro DMAF, Maia ACD, Gundersen LL, Schubert M, Dötterl S, Machado IC. A Semivolatile Floral Scent Marks the Shift to a Novel Pollination System in Bromeliads. Curr Biol 2021; 31:860-868.e4. [PMID: 33338429 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Perfume flowers (sensu Vogel1) produce intense scents that function both as attractants and as the sole rewards for pollinators. The scent is collected exclusively by male euglossine bees and used during pre-mating behavior.2-5 Perfume flowers have evolved independently in 15 angiosperm families, with over 1,000 reported species across the Neotropical region.6 Members of Cryptanthus (Bromeliaceae) represent a puzzling exception among perfume flowers, as flowers produce nectar and do not emit a noticeable scent yet still attract euglossine males.7 Here, we studied the pollination ecology of Cryptanthus burle-marxii and decode the chemical communication between its flowers and euglossine males. Field observations revealed euglossine males and hummingbirds as potential pollinators. The bees always contacted anthers/stigma of C. burle-marxii while scraping the petals to obtain chemicals, whereas nectar-seeking hummingbirds normally only contacted the anthers. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of flower scent samples and bioassays, we identified the diterpene copalol as the only floral scent compound triggering scent-gathering behavior in euglossine males. Unlike euglossine-bee-mediated pollination, hummingbird pollination is ancestral in the Cryptanthus clade, suggesting a case of an ongoing pollinator shift8-10 mediated by the evolution of perfume as a reward. Copalol was previously unknown as a floral scent constituent and represents the heaviest and least-volatile compound known to attract euglossine males. Our study provides the first experimental evidence that semivolatile floral compounds can mediate euglossine bee interactions. Male euglossine pollination in other plant species lacking noticeable floral scents11-13 suggests that semivolatile-mediated pollinator attraction is more widespread than currently appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Arthur Domingos-Melo
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - João B Olivera
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Nayara S L Albuquerque
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina G Costa
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Sinzinando Albuquerque-Lima
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Marcelo F R Silva
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Daniela M A F Navarro
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Artur C D Maia
- Departament of Systematics and Ecology, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Brazil
| | | | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Isabel C Machado
- Departament of Botany, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Obiero GF, Pauli T, Geuverink E, Veenendaal R, Niehuis O, Große-Wilde E. Chemoreceptor Diversity in Apoid Wasps and Its Reduction during the Evolution of the Pollen-Collecting Lifestyle of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6117318. [PMID: 33484563 PMCID: PMC8011036 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemoreceptors help insects to interact with their environment, to detect and assess food sources and oviposition sites, and to aid in intra- and interspecific communication. In Hymenoptera, species of eusocial lineages possess large chemoreceptor gene repertoires compared with solitary species, possibly because of their additional need to recognize nest-mates and caste. However, a critical piece of information missing so far has been the size of chemoreceptor gene repertoires of solitary apoid wasps. Apoid wasps are a paraphyletic group of almost exclusively solitary Hymenoptera phylogenetically positioned between ant and bee, both of which include eusocial species. We report the chemosensory-related gene repertoire sizes of three apoid wasps: Ampulex compressa, Cerceris arenaria, and Psenulus fuscipennis. We annotated genes encoding odorant (ORs), gustatory, and ionotropic receptors and chemosensory soluble proteins and odorant-binding proteins in transcriptomes of chemosensory tissues of the above three species and in early draft genomes of two species, A. compressa and C. arenaria. Our analyses revealed that apoid wasps possess larger OR repertoires than any bee lineage, that the last common ancestor of Apoidea possessed a considerably larger OR repertoire (∼160) than previously estimated (73), and that the expansion of OR genes in eusocial bees was less extensive than previously assumed. Intriguingly, the evolution of pollen-collecting behavior in the stem lineage of bees was associated with a notable loss of OR gene diversity. Thus, our results support the view that herbivorous Hymenoptera tend to possess smaller OR repertoires than carnivorous, parasitoid, or kleptoparasitic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Obiero
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.,School of Biological and Life Sciences, The Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Thomas Pauli
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elzemiek Geuverink
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Oliver Niehuis
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ewald Große-Wilde
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.,EXTEMIT-K, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Praha-Suchdol, Czech Republic
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8
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D’Auria M, Fascetti S, Racioppi R, Romano VA, Rosati L. Orchids from Basilicata: The Scent. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-11257-8_32-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
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9
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Song JH, Hong SP. Identity and localization of floral scent components in an androdioecious species, Chionanthus retusus (Oleaceae). JOURNAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC BIODIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.japb.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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10
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Koski MH, Berardi AE, Galloway LF. Pollen colour morphs take different paths to fitness. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:388-400. [PMID: 32012387 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13599] [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: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Colour phenotypes are often involved in communication and are thus under selection by species interactions. However, selection may also act on colour through correlated traits or alternative functions of biochemical pigments. Such forms of selection are instrumental in maintaining petal colour diversity in plants. Pollen colour also varies markedly, but the maintenance of this variation is little understood. In Campanula americana, pollen ranges from white to dark purple, with darker morphs garnering more pollinator visits and exhibiting elevated pollen performance under heat stress. Here, we generate an F2 population segregating for pollen colour and measure correlations with floral traits, pollen attributes and plant-level traits related to fitness. We determine the pigment biochemistry of colour variants and evaluate maternal and paternal fitness of light and dark morphs by crossing within and between morphs. Pollen colour was largely uncorrelated with floral traits (petal colour, size, nectar traits) suggesting it can evolve independently. Darker pollen grains were larger and had higher anthocyanin content (cyanidin and peonidin) which may explain why they outperform light pollen under heat stress. Overall, pollen-related fitness metrics were greater for dark pollen, and dark pollen sires generated seeds with higher germination potential. Conversely, light pollen plants produce 61% more flowers than dark, and 18% more seeds per fruit, suggesting a seed production advantage. Results indicate that light and dark morphs may achieve fitness through different means-dark morphs appear to have a pollen advantage whereas light morphs have an ovule advantage-helping to explain the maintenance of pollen colour variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Andrea E Berardi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura F Galloway
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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11
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Flowers of European pear release common and uncommon volatiles that can be detected by honey bee pollinators. CHEMOECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-019-00289-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Floral scents are important pollinator attractants, but there is limited knowledge about the importance of single components in plant–pollinator interactions. This especially is true in crop pollination systems. The aim of this study is to identify floral volatiles of several European pear cultivars (Pyrus communis L.), and to determine their potential in eliciting physiological responses in antennae of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), the most important pollinators of pear. Volatiles were collected by dynamic headspace and analysed by (high resolution) gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Antennal responses were investigated by GC coupled to electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD). We trapped in the mean 256 ng of scent per flower and hour (flower−1 h−1) from the different cultivars with either linalool + methyl benzoate or methyl 2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoate as most abundant compounds. Of the 108 detected pear floral scent components, 17 were electrophysiologically active in honey bee antennae. Among these compounds were (E)-N-(2-methylbutyl)- and (E)-N-(3-methylbutyl)-1-(pyridin-3-yl)methanimine, which were not known from nature before to the best of our knowledge. Most other compounds identified as flower scent in pear are widespread compounds, known from flowers of various other species. Our results provide new insights in the floral volatile chemistry of an important insect-pollinated crop and show for the first time that honey bees have the olfactory ability to detect several pear floral volatiles. These data are an important basis for more detailed studies of the olfactory communication between honey bees and European pear flowers and might in the long term be used to manipulate the attractiveness of pear to obtain optimal fruit set.
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12
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Wang Y, Andongma AA, Dong Y, Chen Z, Xu P, Ren X, Krosch MN, Clarke AR, Niu C. Rh6 gene modulates the visual mechanism of host utilization in fruit fly Bactrocera minax. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:1621-1629. [PMID: 30471178 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vision plays a critical role in host location and oviposition behavior for herbivorous insects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying visual regulation in host recognition and oviposition site selection in insects remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the key visual genes that are linked to the host plant location of the fruit fly, Bactrocera minax. RESULTS Using a host specialist fruit fly, B. minax, which lays eggs only into immature green citrus fruit, we undertook behavioral, transcriptomic, and RNAi research to identify the molecular basis for host fruit color recognition. In laboratory and field assays we found that adults prefer green over other colors, and this preference is significantly increased in sexually mature over immature flies. Furthermore, we identified that the Rh6 gene, responsible for green spectral sensitivity, has elevated expression in mature flies over immature flies. RNAi suppression of Rh6 eliminated the preference for green, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of eggs laid by B. minax in green unripe citrus. CONCLUSION These results show that the Rh6 gene modulates the visual mechanism of host utilization in B. minax, providing a genetic basis for visual host location in a non-model insect herbivore. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohui Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Awawing A Andongma
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongcheng Dong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenzhong Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Penghui Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xueming Ren
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Matthew N Krosch
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Anthony R Clarke
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Changying Niu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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13
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D'Auria M, Lorenz R, Mecca M, Racioppi R, Antonio Romano V. Aroma components of Cephalanthera orchids. Nat Prod Res 2019; 35:174-177. [PMID: 31138002 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2019.1616724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The SPME-GC-MS analysis of the aroma components of Cephalanthera damasonium, Cephalanthera rubra, and Cephalanthera longifolia were reported. The main components found in C. damasonium were pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane and α-farnesene. The same compounds were found in the scent of C. rubra. Although C. damasonium and C. rubra have different pollination mechanisms, their spectrum of volatile compounds surprisingly does not differ significantly. In C. longifolia pentadecane and heptadecane were found together with cis-β-farnesene. As C. longifolia is allogamous, the differences in scent composition may play a role in pollinator attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio D'Auria
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Richard Lorenz
- Arbeitskreis Heimische Orchideen Baden-Württemberg, Weinheim, Germany
| | - Marisabel Mecca
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Rocco Racioppi
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
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Brandt K, Dötterl S, Fuchs R, Navarro DMDAF, Machado ICS, Dobler D, Reiser O, Ayasse M, Milet-Pinheiro P. Subtle Chemical Variations with Strong Ecological Significance: Stereoselective Responses of Male Orchid Bees to Stereoisomers of Carvone Epoxide. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:464-473. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Ogilvie JE, Forrest JR. Interactions between bee foraging and floral resource phenology shape bee populations and communities. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 21:75-82. [PMID: 28822493 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Flowers are ephemeral, yet bees rely on them for food throughout their lives. Floral resource phenology - which can be altered by changes in climate and land-use - is therefore key to bee fitness and community composition. Here, we discuss the interactions between floral resource phenology, bee foraging behaviour, and traits such as diet breadth, sociality, and body size. Recent research on bumble bees has examined behavioural responses to local floral turnover and effects of landscape-scale floral resource phenology on fitness, abundance, and foraging distances. Comparable studies are needed on non-social, pollen-specialist species. We also encourage greater use of information contained in museum collections on bee phenologies and floral hosts to test how phenology has shaped the evolution of bee-plant associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Ogilvie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA; Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA.
| | - Jessica Rk Forrest
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA; Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Brandt K, Dötterl S, Francke W, Ayasse M, Milet-Pinheiro P. Flower Visitors of Campanula: Are Oligoleges More Sensitive to Host-Specific Floral Scents Than Polyleges? J Chem Ecol 2016; 43:4-12. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0802-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Convergent evolution of sexual deception via chromatic and achromatic contrast rather than colour mimicry. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9863-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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18
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Ravi S, Garcia JE, Wang C, Dyer AG. The answer is blowing in the wind: free-flying honeybees can integrate visual and mechano-sensory inputs for making complex foraging decisions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:3465-3472. [PMID: 27591315 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.142679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bees navigate in complex environments using visual, olfactory and mechano-sensorial cues. In the lowest region of the atmosphere, the wind environment can be highly unsteady and bees employ fine motor-skills to enhance flight control. Recent work reveals sophisticated multi-modal processing of visual and olfactory channels by the bee brain to enhance foraging efficiency, but it currently remains unclear whether wind-induced mechano-sensory inputs are also integrated with visual information to facilitate decision making. Individual honeybees were trained in a linear flight arena with appetitive-aversive differential conditioning to use a context-setting cue of 3 m s-1 cross-wind direction to enable decisions about either a 'blue' or 'yellow' star stimulus being the correct alternative. Colour stimuli properties were mapped in bee-specific opponent-colour spaces to validate saliency, and to thus enable rapid reverse learning. Bees were able to integrate mechano-sensory and visual information to facilitate decisions that were significantly different to chance expectation after 35 learning trials. An independent group of bees were trained to find a single rewarding colour that was unrelated to the wind direction. In these trials, wind was not used as a context-setting cue and served only as a potential distracter in identifying the relevant rewarding visual stimuli. Comparison between respective groups shows that bees can learn to integrate visual and mechano-sensory information in a non-elemental fashion, revealing an unsuspected level of sensory processing in honeybees, and adding to the growing body of knowledge on the capacity of insect brains to use multi-modal sensory inputs in mediating foraging behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Ravi
- RMIT University, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Jair E Garcia
- RMIT University, School of Media and Communication, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Chun Wang
- RMIT University, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- RMIT University, School of Media and Communication, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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Zito P, Scrima A, Sajeva M, Carimi F, Dötterl S. Dimorphism in inflorescence scent of dioecious wild grapevine. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Milet-Pinheiro P, Herz K, Dötterl S, Ayasse M. Host choice in a bivoltine bee: how sensory constraints shape innate foraging behaviors. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:20. [PMID: 27068328 PMCID: PMC4828851 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0074-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many insects have multiple generations per year and cohorts emerging in different seasons may evolve their own phenotypes if they are subjected to different selection regimes. The bivoltine bee Andrena bicolor is reported to be polylectic and oligolectic (on Campanula) in the spring and summer generations, respectively. Neurological constraints are assumed to govern pollen diet in bees. However, evidence comes predominantly from studies with oligolectic bees. We have investigated how sensory constraints influence the innate foraging behavior of A. bicolor and have tested whether bees of different generations evolved behavioral and sensory polyphenism to cope better with the host flowers available in nature when they are active. Results Behavioral and sensory polyphenisms were tested in choice assays and electroantennographic analyses, respectively. In the bioassays, we found that females of both generations (1) displayed a similar innate relative reliance on visual and olfactory floral cues irrespective of the host plants tested; (2) did not prefer floral cues of Campanula to those of Taraxacum (or vice versa) and (3) did not display an innate preference for yellow and lilac colors. In the electroantennographic analyses, we found that bees of both generations responded to the same set of compounds. Conclusion Overall, we did not detect seasonal polyphenism in any trait examined. The finding that bees of both generations are not sensory constrained to visit a specific host flower, which is in strict contrast to results from studies with oligolectic bees, suggest that also bees of the second generation have a flexibility in innate foraging behavior and that this is an adaptive trait in A. bicolor. We discuss the significance of our findings in context of the natural history of A. bicolor and in the broader context of host-range evolution in bees. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0074-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstraße 10-1, 89081, Ulm, Germany. .,Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Recife, 50670-901, Brazil.
| | - Kerstin Herz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstraße 10-1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstraße 10-1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
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Integration of Visual and Olfactory Cues in Host Plant Identification by the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142752. [PMID: 26556100 PMCID: PMC4640517 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Some insects use host and mate cues, including odor, color, and shape, to locate and recognize their preferred hosts and mates. Previous research has shown that the Asian longicorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), uses olfactory cues to locate host plants and differentiate them from non-host plants. However, whether A. glabripennis adults use visual cues or a combination of visual and olfactory cues remains unclear. In this study, we tested the host location and recognition behavior in A. glabripennis, which infests a number of hardwood species and causes considerable economic losses in North America, Europe and Asia. We determined the relative importance of visual and olfactory cues from Acer negundo in host plant location and recognition, as well as in the discrimination of non-host plants (Sabina chinensis and Pinus bungeana), by female and male A. glabripennis. Visual and olfactory cues from the host plants (A. negundo), alone and combined, attracted significantly more females and males than equivalent cues from non-host plants (S. chinensis and P. bungeana). Furthermore, the combination of visual and olfactory cues of host plants attracted more adults than either cue alone, and visual cues alone attracted significantly more adults than olfactory cues alone. This finding suggests that adult A. glabripennis has an innate preference for the visual and/or olfactory cues of its host plants (A. negundo) over those of the non-host plant and visual cues are initially more important than olfactory cues for orientation; furthermore, this finding also suggests that adults integrate visual and olfactory cues to find their host plants. Our results indicate that different modalities of host plant cues should be considered together to understand fully the communication between host plants and Asian longhorned beetles.
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