Nectar production, reproductive success and the evolution of generalised pollination within a specialised pollen-rewarding plant family: a case study using Miconia theizans

Generalist plant-pollinator interactions are prevalent in nature. Here, we untangle the role of nectar production in the visitation and pollen release/deposition in Miconia theizans, a nectar-rewarding plant within the specialised pollen-rewarding plant family Melastomataceae. We described the visit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant systematics and evolution 2017-06, Vol.303 (6), p.709-718
Main Authors: de Brito, Vinícius L. G., Rech, André R., Ollerton, Jeff, Sazima, Marlies
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptive systems
Animal reproduction
Anthers
Bees
Beetles
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Breeding success
Butterflies & moths
Cockroaches
Deposition
Insects
Life Sciences
Miconia
Nectar
Original Article
Plant Anatomy/Development
Plant Ecology
Plant nectar
Plant reproduction
Plant reproductive structures
Plant Sciences
Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Pollen
Pollination
Pollinators
Reproduction
Stigmas (botany)
Success
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Summary:Generalist plant-pollinator interactions are prevalent in nature. Here, we untangle the role of nectar production in the visitation and pollen release/deposition in Miconia theizans, a nectar-rewarding plant within the specialised pollen-rewarding plant family Melastomataceae. We described the visitation rate, nectar dynamics and pollen release from the poricidal anthers and deposition onto stigmas during flower anthesis. Afterwards, we used a linear mixed model selection approach to understand the relationship between pollen and nectar availability and insect visitation rate and the relationship between visitation rate and reproductive success. Miconia theizans was visited by 86 insect species, including buzzing and non-buzzing bees, wasps, flies, hoverflies, ants, beetles, hemipterans, cockroaches and butterflies. The nectar produced explained the visitation rate, and the pollen release from the anthers was best explained by the visitation rate of pollinivorous species. However, the visitation rates could not predict pollen deposition onto stigmas. Nectar production may explain the high insect diversity and led to an increase in reproductive success, even with unpredictable pollen deposition, indicating the adaptive value of a generalised pollination system.
ISSN:0378-2697
1615-6110
2199-6881
DOI:10.1007/s00606-017-1405-z