The attractive role of floral elements in heterantherous species without pronounced stamen differences

Floral resources can be recognized by visitors through attractants that signal their presence. However, besides petals, it is still unclear how floral elements in heterantherous species are perceived by visiting bees. In this study, we aim to understand the role of stamens and petals of Pleroma gran...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arthropod-plant interactions 2021-02, Vol.15 (1), p.23-31
Main Authors: de Brito, Vinícius Lourenço Garcia, Leite, Fernanda Barão, Telles, Francismeire Jane, Jorge, Leonardo Ré, Sazima, Marlies
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthers
Attractants
Bees
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Color
Ecology
Entomology
Flowers
Invertebrates
Life Sciences
Original Paper
Petals
Plant Pathology
Plant reproduction
Plant Sciences
Plant species
Pollination
Pollinators
Species
Stamens
Tactile discrimination
Tactile stimuli
Visual discrimination
Visual stimuli
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Summary:Floral resources can be recognized by visitors through attractants that signal their presence. However, besides petals, it is still unclear how floral elements in heterantherous species are perceived by visiting bees. In this study, we aim to understand the role of stamens and petals of Pleroma granulosum and P. raddianum in attracting pollination bees, mainly by evaluating whether pollinator behaviour differs in response to different sized stamens between which there is no apparent colour contrast. Using colour visual models, we estimated bee colour discrimination between stamen sets and corolla in both species and carried out preference experiments among floral elements, using the bees Bombus morio and Xylocopa frontalis as models in the field. Pollination and feeding stamens are not discriminable by bees in both plant species. Bees only preferred flowers with petals, indicating that they are essential to long-distance attraction. During preferential tests, bees seemed to better respond to visual stimuli on the right side, suggesting lateralization. We also demonstrate that tactile stimulation by the anthers is necessary to trigger bee buzzing behaviour. Thus, since bees were not specifically attracted to any stamen set, heteranthery without colour differences between stamens is not enough to determine bee choice behaviour.
ISSN:1872-8855
1872-8847
DOI:10.1007/s11829-020-09794-1