1
|
Magalhães DM, Lourenção AL, Bento JMS. Beneath the blooms: Unearthing the effect of rhizospheric bacteria on floral signals and pollinator preferences. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:782-798. [PMID: 37994626 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between plants and pollinators is known to be influenced by ecological interactions with other community members. While most research has focused on aboveground communities affecting plant-pollinator interactions, it is increasingly recognized that soil-dwelling organisms can directly or indirectly impact these interactions. Although studies have examined the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on floral traits, there is a gap in research regarding similar effects associated with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly concerning floral scent. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of the PGPR Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on the floral traits of wild (Solanum habrochaites, Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum peruvianum) and cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), as well as the impact of microbially-driven changes in floral scent on the foraging behaviour of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata. Our findings revealed that inoculating tomatoes with PGPR led to an increased number of flowers and enhanced overall floral volatile emission. Additionally, we observed higher flower biomass and pollen levels in all species, except S. peruvianum. Importantly, these changes in volatile emissions influenced the foraging behaviour of M. quadrifasciata significantly. Our results highlight the impact of beneficial soil microbes on plant-pollinator interactions, shedding light on the multiple effects that plant-microbial interactions can have on aboveground organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego M Magalhães
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André L Lourenção
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Maurício S Bento
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rodríguez-Morales D, Aguirre-Jaimes A, García-Franco JG. Effects of Florivory on Floral Visitors and Reproductive Success of Sagittaria lancifolia (Alismataceae) in a Mexican Wetland. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:547. [PMID: 38498564 PMCID: PMC10893147 DOI: 10.3390/plants13040547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Florivores consume floral structures with negative effects on plant fitness and pollinator attraction. Several studies have evaluated these consequences in hermaphroditic plants, but little is known about the effects on monoecious and dioecious species. We characterize the florivory and its effects on floral visitors and reproductive success in a monoecious population of Sagittaria lancifolia. Five categories of florivory were established according to the petal area consumed. Visits were recorded in male and female flowers within the different damage categories. Reproductive success was evaluated through fruit number and weight, as well as the number of seeds per fruit. Our results show that the weevil Tanysphyrus lemnae is the main florivore, and it mainly damages the female flowers. Hymenoptera were recorded as the most frequent visitors of both male and female flowers. Male and female flowers showed differences in visit frequency, which decreases as flower damage increases. Reproductive success was negatively related to the level of damage. We found that florivory is common in the population of S. lancifolia, which can exert a strong selective pressure by making the flowers less attractive and reducing the number of seeds per fruit. Future studies are needed to know how florivores affect plant male fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Armando Aguirre-Jaimes
- Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, VC, Mexico;
| | - José G. García-Franco
- Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, VC, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Roddy AB, Guilliams CM, Fine PVA, Mambelli S, Dawson TE, Simonin KA. Flowers are leakier than leaves but cheaper to build. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:2076-2082. [PMID: 37366068 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam B Roddy
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, 33199, FL, USA
| | | | - Paul V A Fine
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA
| | - Stefania Mambelli
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA
| | - Todd E Dawson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA
| | - Kevin A Simonin
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, 94132, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Raguso RA. Hidden worlds within flowers. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R506-R512. [PMID: 37279684 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing realization that ecological interactions take place at many scales, from acorns to forests, and that formerly overlooked community members, particularly microbes, can play outsized ecological roles. Beyond their primary function as the reproductive organs of angiosperms, flowers constitute resource-rich, ephemeral habitats teeming with flower-loving symbionts, or 'anthophiles'. The physical, chemical, and structural properties of flowers combine to create a habitat filter, selectively determining which anthophiles can reside there, and how, and when they interact. The microhabitats within flowers can provide shelter from predators or inclement weather, places to eat, sleep, thermoregulate, hunt, mate or reproduce. In turn, floral microhabitats contain the full range of mutualists, antagonists and apparent commensals, whose complex interactions impact how flowers look and smell, how profitable they are to foraging pollinators, and how selection feeds back upon the traits shaping those interactions. Recent studies suggest coevolutionary paths by which floral symbionts might be co-opted as mutualists and provide compelling examples in which ambush predators or florivores are recruited as floral allies. Unbiased studies that include the full roster of floral symbionts are likely to reveal novel links and additional nuance in the rich ecological communities hidden within flowers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Johnson MA. Phylogenetic and functional trait-based community assembly within Pacific Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae): Evidence for clustering at multiple spatial scales. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10048. [PMID: 37153018 PMCID: PMC10160169 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical rainforest communities are often characterized by a small number of species-rich genera that contribute disproportionately to the alpha diversity in these habitats. In the Pacific Basin, there are nearly 200 species of Cyrtandra, most of which are white-flowered woody shrubs that are single-island endemics. Within these island communities, multiple Cyrtandra species are commonly observed to occur sympatrically in wet forest understories, forming swarms of what appear to be ecologically similar taxa. The aim of this study was to determine whether species of these plants are randomly assembled with respect to phylogenetic relatedness and traits that are ecologically relevant. I examined assembly patterns across three Pacific archipelagoes using a combination of 10 functional traits and a well-resolved phylogeny comprising 34 species of Cyrtandra. Coexisting species were found to be more closely related and more phenotypically similar than would be expected by chance. This pattern was observed at both regional (island) and local (site) spatial scales. The retention of phylogenetic signal in floral traits and the strong influence of these traits on the observed degree of phylogenetic clustering may indicate that generalist insect pollinators act as a biotic filter on oceanic islands, driving selection for similar floral morphology among closely related species of Pacific Cyrtandra. Phylogenetic signal was also detected in leaf size, which contributed to niche clustering at both spatial scales. Coupled with a propensity for long-distance dispersal, and the restricted distribution of Cyrtandra to rainforest understories, this finding suggests that environmental filtering along this trait axis may be more important than dispersal limitation in determining species assemblages. This study supports the theory that plant species are not randomly assembled, and instead, that niche-based processes structure biodiversity at regional and local spatial scales in diverse congeneric species assemblages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A. Johnson
- Daniel K. Inouye US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research CenterHawaiiHiloUSA
- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic GardenCAClaremontUSA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Aguirrebengoa M, Müller C, Hambäck PA, González-Megías A. Density-Dependent Effects of Simultaneous Root and Floral Herbivory on Plant Fitness and Defense. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:283. [PMID: 36678999 PMCID: PMC9867048 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants are attacked by multiple herbivores, and depend on a precise regulation of responses to cope with a wide range of antagonists. Simultaneous herbivory can occur in different plant compartments, which may pose a serious threat to plant growth and reproduction. In particular, plants often face co-occurring root and floral herbivory, but few studies have focused on such interactions. Here, we investigated in the field the combined density-dependent effects of root-chewing cebrionid beetle larvae and flower-chewing pierid caterpillars on the fitness and defense of a semiarid Brassicaceae herb. We found that the fitness impact of both herbivore groups was independent and density-dependent. Increasing root herbivore density non-significantly reduced plant fitness, while the relationship between increasing floral herbivore density and the reduction they caused in both seed number and seedling emergence was non-linear. The plant defensive response was non-additive with regard to the different densities of root and floral herbivores; high floral herbivore density provoked compensatory investment in reproduction, and this tolerance response was combined with aboveground chemical defense induction when also root herbivore density was high. Plants may thus prioritize specific trait combinations in response to varying combined below- and aboveground herbivore densities to minimize negative impacts on fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Caroline Müller
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Peter A. Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
E-Vojtkó A, Junker RR, de Bello F, Götzenberger L. Floral and reproductive traits are an independent dimension within the plant economic spectrum of temperate central Europe. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1964-1975. [PMID: 35842785 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Major dimensions of plant ecological strategies have been widely studied bringing forward the concept of 'economic spectra' of plants. Sexual reproductive traits, 'floral traits', have been largely neglected in this context, despite their strong link to fitness. Here, we aimed at integrating floral traits into the dimensionality of plant form and function so far dominated by vegetative traits. We used principal component analyses and constructed trait networks to assess the correlation structure of leaf, belowground, plant size-related, and floral traits. We studied forbs within two independent datasets; one compiled from central European trait databases and one sampled in the Austrian Alps. Floral traits defined the second dimension of trait variability within both datasets, while plant size determined the first dimension. Floral traits were largely independent from the leaf economic spectrum. Flower size, however, positively scaled with plant size and leaf size. Mating system was the most well-connected trait across modules of plant tissue/organ types. The independence of floral traits was consistent also after accounting for phylogenetic relationships between species. Floral traits explained a unique part of the variation in plant form and function and thus, likely play a distinctive ecological role within the whole plant economic spectrum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna E-Vojtkó
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Robert R Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- CIDE-UV-CSIC, 46113, Montcada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lars Götzenberger
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Mendes‐Silva I, Queiroga D, Calixto ES, Torezan‐Silingardi HM, Del‐Claro K. Ineffectiveness of ants in protecting two sympatric myrmecophilous plants against endophytic beetles. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isamara Mendes‐Silva
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Drielly Queiroga
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Helena Maura Torezan‐Silingardi
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Kleber Del‐Claro
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Huang L, Liu Y, Dou L, Pan S, Li Z, Zhang J, Li J. Mutualist- and antagonist-mediated selection contribute to trait diversification of flowers. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14107. [PMID: 36196403 PMCID: PMC9527018 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Flowers are generally short-lived, and they all face a multidimensional challenge because they have to attract mutualists, compel them to vector pollen with minimal investment in rewards, and repel floral enemies during this short time window. Their displays are under complex selection, either consistent or conflicting, to maximize reproductive fitness under heterogeneous environments. The phenological or morphological mismatches between flowers and visitors will influence interspecific competition, resource access, mating success and, ultimately, population and community dynamics. To better understand the effects of the plant visitors on floral traits, it is necessary to determine the functional significance of specific floral traits for the visitors; how plants respond to both mutualists and antagonists through adaptive changes; and to evaluate the net fitness effects of biological mutualisms and antagonism on plants. In this review, we bring together insights from fields as diverse as floral biology, insect behavioral responses, and evolutionary biology to explain the processes and patterns of floral diversity evolution. Then, we discuss the ecological significance of plant responses to mutualists and antagonists from a community perspective, and propose a set of research questions that can guide the research field to integrate studies of plant defense and reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Huang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Liwen Dou
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Shaobin Pan
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | | | - Jin Zhang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jia Li
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tunes P, Dötterl S, Guimarães E. Florivory and Pollination Intersection: Changes in Floral Trait Expression Do Not Discourage Hummingbird Pollination. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:813418. [PMID: 35432434 PMCID: PMC9006511 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.813418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many flowers are fed on by florivores, but we know little about if and how feeding on flowers affects their visual and chemical advertisement and nectar resource, which could disrupt pollination. Here, we investigated if damages caused by florivores compromise a Neotropical hummingbird pollination system, by modifying the floral advertisements and the nectar resource. We surveyed natural florivory levels and patterns, examined short-term local effects of floral damages caused by the most common florivore, a caterpillar, on floral outline, intra-floral colour pattern and floral scent, as well as on the amount of nectar. Following, we experimentally tested if the most severe florivory pattern affected hummingbird pollination. The feeding activity of the most common florivore did not alter the intra-floral colour pattern, floral scent, and nectar volume, but changed the corolla outline. However, this change did not affect hummingbird pollination. Despite visual floral cues being important for foraging in hummingbirds, our results emphasise that changes in the corolla outline had a neutral effect on pollination, allowing the maintenance of florivore-plant-pollinator systems without detriment to any partner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Tunes
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Botany), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elza Guimarães
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rusman Q, Hooiveld‐Knoppers S, Dijksterhuis M, Bloem J, Reichelt M, Dicke M, Poelman EH. Flowers prepare thyselves: leaf and root herbivores induce specific changes in floral phytochemistry with consequences for plant interactions with florivores. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2548-2560. [PMID: 34953172 PMCID: PMC9305281 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The phenotypic plasticity of flowering plants in response to herbivore damage to vegetative tissues can affect plant interactions with flower-feeding organisms. Such induced systemic responses are probably regulated by defence-related phytohormones that signal flowers to alter secondary chemistry that affects resistance to florivores. Current knowledge on the effects of damage to vegetative tissues on plant interactions with florivores and the underlying mechanisms is limited. We compared the preference and performance of two florivores on flowering Brassica nigra plants damaged by one of three herbivores feeding from roots or leaves. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we quantified expression patterns of marker genes for defence-related phytohormonal pathways, and concentrations of phytohormones and glucosinolates in buds and flowers. Florivores displayed contrasting preferences for plants damaged by herbivores feeding on roots and leaves. Chewing florivores performed better on plants damaged by folivores, but worse on plants damaged by the root herbivore. Chewing root and foliar herbivory led to specific induced changes in the phytohormone profile of buds and flowers. This resulted in increased glucosinolate concentrations for leaf-damaged plants, and decreased glucosinolate concentrations for root-damaged plants. The outcome of herbivore-herbivore interactions spanning from vegetative tissues to floral tissues is unique for the inducing root/leaf herbivore and receiving florivore combination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quint Rusman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 1Wageningen6708PBthe Netherlands
- Present address:
Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZürichZollikerstrasse 1078008ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Sanne Hooiveld‐Knoppers
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 1Wageningen6708PBthe Netherlands
| | - Mirjam Dijksterhuis
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 1Wageningen6708PBthe Netherlands
| | - Janneke Bloem
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 1Wageningen6708PBthe Netherlands
| | - Michael Reichelt
- Department of BiochemistryMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyHans‐Knöll‐Strasse 807745JenaGermany
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 1Wageningen6708PBthe Netherlands
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 1Wageningen6708PBthe Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Adit A, Singh VK, Koul M, Tandon R. Breeding System and Response of the Pollinator to Floral Larceny and Florivory Define the Reproductive Success in Aerides odorata. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:767725. [PMID: 35095948 PMCID: PMC8795787 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.767725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of pollination reward by felonious means in a plant species can influence the foraging behavior of its pollinator and eventually the reproductive success. So far, studies on this aspect are largely confined to interaction involving plant-pollinators and nectar robbers or thieves. However, a foraging guild in such interactions may also include floral herbivores or florivores. There is a paucity of information on the extent to which nectar larcenists may influence the foraging behavior of the pollinator and reproductive fitness of plants in the presence of a florivore. We investigated various forms of larceny in the natural populations of Aerides odorata, a pollinator-dependent and nectar-rewarding orchid. These populations differed in types of foraging guild, the extent of larceny (thieving/robbing), which can occur with or without florivory, and natural fruit-set pattern. The nectariferous spur of the flower serves as an organ of interest among the foraging insects. While florivory marked by excision of nectary dissuades the pollinator, nectar thieving and robbing significantly enhance visits of the pollinator and fruit-set. Experimental pollinations showed that the species is a preferential outbreeder and experiences inbreeding depression from selfing. Reproductive fitness of the orchid species varies significantly with the extent of floral larceny. Although nectar thieving or robbing is beneficial in this self-compatible species, the negative effects of florivory were stronger. Our findings suggest that net reproductive fitness in the affected plant species is determined by the overarching effect of its breeding system on the overall interacting framework of the foraging guild.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Adit
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Vineet Kumar Singh
- Department of Botany, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Monika Koul
- Department of Botany, Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajesh Tandon
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|