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2013 ; 111
(6
): 1155-65
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A pollinators eye view of a shelter mimicry system
#MMPMID23599249
Vereecken NJ
; Dorchin A
; Dafni A
; Hötling S
; Schulz S
; Watts S
Ann Bot
2013[Jun]; 111
(6
): 1155-65
PMID23599249
show ga
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: 'Human-red' flowers are traditionally considered to be
rather unpopular with bees, yet some allogamous species in the section Oncocyclus
(genus Iris, Iridaceae) have evolved specialized interactions with their
pollinators, a narrow taxonomic range of male solitary bees. The dark-red,
tubular flowers of these irises are nectarless but provide protective shelters
(i.e. a non-nutritive form of reward) primarily to male solitary bees (Apidae,
Eucerini) that pollinate the flowers while looking for a shelter. An earlier
study on orchids suggested that species pollinated predominantly by male solitary
bees produce significantly larger amounts and larger numbers of different
n-alkenes (unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons). Whether or not this also applies
to the Oncocyclus irises and whether pollinators are attracted by specific
colours or scents of these flowers is unknown. METHODS: Using Iris atropurpurea,
recording of pollinator preferences for shelters with different spatial
parameters was combined with analyses of floral colours (by spectrophotometry)
and scents (by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) to test the hypotheses that
(a) pollinators significantly prefer floral tunnels facing the rising sun (floral
heat-reward hypothesis), and that (b) flowers pollinated predominantly by male
solitary bees produce significantly larger amounts and larger numbers of
unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons (n-alkenes) in their floral scent
(preadaptation to sexual-deception hypothesis). KEY RESULTS: Male bees do not
significantly prefer shelters facing the rising sun or with the presence of high
absolute/relative amounts and numbers of n-alkenes in the floral scent.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the flowers of I. atropurpurea probably
evolved by pollinator-mediated selection acting primarily on floral colours to
mimic large achromatic ('bee-black') protective shelters used preferentially by
male solitary bees, and that pollinator visits are presumably not the result of
an odour-based sexual stimulation or motivated by an increased morning floral
heat reward in tunnels facing the rising sun.